Aston Villa 3-2 Club Brugge: A Winning Return to the Champions League
Aston Villa's long-awaited Champions League return couldn't have started better: a 3-2 win away at Club Brugge on Tuesday, September 8, with captain John McGinn scoring the opening goal of the entire 2026/27 competition.
McGinn Opens the Season, Buendía and Jackson Take Control
McGinn struck in the 11th minute — the first goal of the whole 2026/27 Champions League league phase, fittingly scored by the club making its first-ever appearance in this format.
Emiliano Buendía and Nicolas Jackson added goals either side of a Hugo Vetlesen equalizer for Brugge, sending Unai Emery's side into the break 3-1 up.
A Nervy Finish, But Villa Hold On
Club Brugge pulled one back through a 61st-minute Nicolo Tresoldi penalty to make it 3-2, setting up a nervy final half-hour, but Villa saw out the win.
It's exactly the start Villa were hoping for after arriving in this format as reigning Europa League champions — beating Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul in May, their first European trophy in 44 years, since the 1982 European Cup.