Aston Villa Survive Late Scare To Beat Club Brugge 3-2
John McGinn broke a club scoring record and Nicolas Jackson netted his first Villa goal as Unai Emery's side held off a spirited Club Brugge fightback in Bruges.
McGinn Breaks Villa's European Scoring Record
Aston Villa began their 2026-27 Champions League campaign with a 3-2 win away at Club Brugge on Tuesday, needing to survive a nervy finish after racing into a three-goal first-half lead. John McGinn put Villa ahead inside 11 minutes, finishing first time from the edge of the box after Pau Torres carried the ball forward and squared it to him. It was McGinn's 12th career goal in European competition for the club, moving him above Ollie Watkins as Villa's all-time leading scorer in UEFA competitions.
Buendia And Jackson Add To The Lead
Club Brugge levelled through Hugo Vetlesen in the 19th minute, converting a left-wing cross from Jan Virgili, but Villa responded within a few minutes as Emiliano Buendia scored from close range after a driving run from midfielder Joao Gomes. Nicolas Jackson then made it 3-1 shortly before half-time, rounding goalkeeper Yann Sommer to tap into an empty net after Torres played a long ball in behind the Brugge defence. It was Jackson's first goal for the club since his summer move from Chelsea.
Brugge Push Late But Villa Hold On
Nicolo Tresoldi halved the deficit from the penalty spot in the 61st minute, the spot-kick awarded by VAR after an Aaron Wan-Bissaka handball, and Brugge pushed hard for a second. Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki kept out a follow-up effort from Vetlesen and was helped when a later Tresoldi header came back off the post, and the visitors held on for their first win in all competitions this season after a goalless start to their Premier League campaign.
Photo: www.avfc.co.uk