Credit: Imago

Jonathan Burnett

Thu 13 March 2025 14:10, UK

Aston Villa had several standout players against Club Brugge on Wednesday as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Unai Emery‘s side overcame a lacklustre opening period against the 10 men of Club Brugge to pull away in the second, scoring three goals within 11 second-half minutes to progress 6-1 on aggregate.

Marco Asensio came off the bench at half-time to score a brace – his sixth and seventh Villans goals in eight appearances – and Ian Maatsen also notched his first in claret and blue amid a dominant display.

Villa, however, were arguably outplayed at times in the first half despite Brugge right-back Kyriani Sabbe being sent off early on for a foul on Marcus Rashford, and Emery’s changes at the break were telling.

Emery to axe Boubacar Kamara after Club Brugge display

There’s no doubting that the introductions of Asensio and Leon Bailey at the break proved to be the difference for Aston Villa turning their two-goal advantage into five, but so too did Emery’s withdrawals.

Ollie Watkins had a rare off day up front and was taken off with Villa having more than enough attacking firepower at their disposal, but Kamara’s performance in the engine room was much more worriyng.

Starting deep alongside Youri Tielemans and John McGinn – rather than just one of the two as usual – Kamara failed to contain Brugge in the first half despite the visitors going down to 10 men very early on.

With his direct replacement Asensio being the difference-maker and Amadou Onana also fit enough to make the bench on Wednesday, Kamara’s half-time hooking could be a sign of things to come.

Kamara couldn’t keep up for Aston Villa v Club Brugge

Villa being on the back foot for much of the opening 45 minutes – against 10 men – certainly isn’t a good sign for Emery despite their second-half display, and Kamara was one player who looked off the pace.

Though the Frenchman completed every pass he made, registering 0.05 expected assists [xA – FotMob], he managed just 18 touches, couldn’t complete a single dribble, and was dispossessed on one occasion.

Making just three defensive actions despite Club Brugge keeping 66 per cent of the first-half possession [SofaScore], Kamara attempted and made a solitary interception, clearance, and ball recovery apiece.

The 25-year-old was also being dribbled past once as Villa struggled to keep pace with Brugge’s fluid football early on, and despite weighing into five on-the-ball duels, he only came away with it twice.

Winning a meagre 25 per cent of his ground duels [FotMob], Kamara failed to put his six-foot frame to good use against a side Villa knew they had the beating of, and with six-foot-five Amadou Onana waiting in the wings, his axing looks inevitable.