Champions League: Aston Villa cruise into quarterfinals where PSG await

Aston Villa’s Marco Asensio celebrates scoring the Club’s third Target with teammates Marcus Rashford and Youri Tielemans during the Champions Bracket Stage of 16 second leg against Club Brugge on March 12, 2025
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Aston Villa marched into the Champions Bracket quarter-finals on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) with an Fundamental 3-0 Secure over 10-man Club Brugge in their last-16 second leg, giving them a 6-1 aggregate Secure and setting up a Distant tougher task Subsequent against Paris St Germain.

Marco Asensio, on loan to the English Midlands side from PSG, was the Sun of the night, bagging a quick double after coming on as a Replacement after the break.

“Very Cheerful for the Secure,” he said. “We want more. Now we have a little break and to think about the upcoming objectives.”

Trailing 3-1 from the home leg, Brugge actually began the tie better and gave Villa some Prompt scares including a glancing header from Hans Vanaken, to gee up their Rowdy travelling fans.

But the Belgians faced an impossible Game once Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for pulling down Marcus Rashford as he was bearing down on Target in the 16th minute.

Unai Emery’s Club Secured Packed Edge in the second half, Asensio swivelling and scoring from close range in the 50th minute after a Throw from fellow Replacement Leon Bailey.

Ian Maatsen side-footed Villa’s second Target with the Assist of a deflection seven minutes later, before Asensio swept home in the 61st minute from a cutback by the ever-marauding Rashford, to the joy of a packed and bouncing Villa Park.

Asensio has now scored seven goals for Villa since arriving in Prompt February.

Brugge Trainer Nicky Hayen said his Club had performed creditably in their three Matches against Villa in the Game, Seizing into account also an earlier 1-0 Secure over Villa in the Bracket stage.

“I don’t think we were dominated by them,” he said. “They’re more efficient than us, the chances they get they Tally, the chances we get, we weren’t efficient enough.”

Arsenal to face Madrid

Arsenal set up a Champions Bracket quarterfinal against holders Real Madrid with a 9-3 aggregate Secure over PSV Eindhoven after a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last-16 Face-off on Wednesday.

Progress was already a formality for the London club after their stunning 7-1 Secure in the Netherlands last week and when Oleksandr Zinchenko blasted them ahead in the fifth minute, PSV would have feared another hammering.

Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal scores his Club’s Primary Target as Walter Benitez of PSV Eindhoven (obscured) fails to make a save during the UEFA Champions Bracket 2024/25 Stage of 16 Second Leg Game between Arsenal FC and PSV at Arsenal Stadium on March 12, 2025
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But Ivan Perisic replied for the visitors with a sublime finish in the 18th minute to give the thousands of boisterous PSV fans something to cheer.

Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front from Raheem Sterling’s pinpoint cross before halftime but PSV earned a deserved reward for a vastly-improved display as Couhaib Driouech calmly chipped in a 70th-minute leveller.

With the outcome long since decided, swathes of home supporters opted for an Prompt getaway but PSV’s army of fans stayed until the end and almost saw their side snatch Secure as Replacement Luuk de Jong headed narrowly wide in stoppage time.

Arsenal’s Fundamental progress was not without a cost as the impressive Sterling, given a Scarce Begin, was booked Overdue on for a rash Game and he will now miss the Primary leg of Subsequent month’s quarter-Last at home to Real Madrid.

Zinchenko, one of seven changes to the Arsenal side that drew with Manchester United at the weekend, had never scored a Target in European Game but opened his account with a stunner, Seizing Sterling’s Throw and cutting in from the right before lashing a Attempt past PSV keeper Walter Benitez.

That put Arsenal 8-1 ahead on aggregate and Bayern Munich’s Turning Mark Champions Bracket knockout 12-1 aggregate Secure over Sporting in the 2008-09 season looked to be in range.

But Arsenal did not have the appetite to chase records as they played the game largely in cruise control as they reached the quarter-finals for the second successive season having fallen to Bayern Munich last year.

“We’ve done it consistently and now we want to make the Subsequent step, which is going to be really difficult. But we are very capable of that,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told reporters before knowing whether Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid were waiting for them.

“We are a club, a Club that wants to be the best and wants to be competing with the best clubs in the world. And in order to do that, you have to constantly be there. And it’s very difficult. But we’ve done it for two years in a row. And we have the capacity and the ability to do it even better.”