First-half treble powers Aston Villa to Champions League win at Club Brugge

Aston Villa took control early and held firm to beat Club Brugge 3-2 in a Champions League opener, securing their first win of the season after starting slowly in the Premier League. Villa led 3-1 at halftime, with John McGinn breaking the deadlock before Emi Buendía doubled the advantage and Nicolas Jackson added a goal. McGinn’s opener came from Pau Torres’ unchallenged run to the edge of the box, setting up a first-time left-foot strike into the far corner past Brugge goalkeeper Yann Sommer. The Belgian side responded when Jan Virgili’s confrontation with Aaron Wan-Bissaka freed Hugo Vetlesen, who scored quickly. Buendía then restored the two-goal cushion via a move finished with a smart backheel and Jackson’s involvement. In the second half, Tyrone Mings’ earlier handball gave Brugge a penalty, and Wan-Bissaka later conceded another spot-kick, making the finale tense. Villa survived after Nicolo Tresoldi scored on 61 minutes.