Birmingham, Mar 13 (UNI) Aston Villa completed a comfortable passage into a Champions League quarter-final with Paris St-Germain after cruising to victory against Club Brugge at Villa Park.
Unai Emery's side were in prime position as they protected a 3-1 advantage from the first leg in Belgium, putting the tie out of the reach of the visitors following the half-time introduction of on-loan talisman Marco Asensio, the BBC reported.
A risk-free first 45 minutes was only notable for Club Brugge defender Kyriani Sabbe's 16th-minute red card for hauling back Marcus Rashford as he chased keeper Emiliano Martinez's long clearance.
Asensio, outstanding since his arrival from PSG, secured Villa's passage into the last eight five minutes after coming on with a neat finish from Leon Bailey's clever pass.
Ian Maatsen added the second from close range seven minutes later, his first for the club, following good work by Morgan Rogers, then Asensio added his second and Villa's third after 61 minutes. It was a simple finish set up perfectly by Rashford.
It means Emery and Asensio will both face their former club, conquerors of Liverpool at the last-16 stage, in the last eight of the Champions League.
Fireworks criss-crossed Villa Park before kick-off against Club Brugge, then at the end when victory was assured and a mouth-watering quarter-final with Paris St-Germain was rubber-stamped.
When Villa broke through the Premier League's glass ceiling to the top four last season to qualify for the Champions League, a respectable run in the new format was the first ambition.
Emery, however, is the European specialist. He sets his sights higher and now has Villa in the last eight against the club he served as coach for two years with mixed fortunes.
PSG have shown true pedigree beating Manchester City in the league table format, then overcoming Liverpool - a favourite of many - with outstanding performances over two legs.
Villa will go in as underdogs but the master European plotter Emery will believe he can come up with a plan to tame the array of attacking talent PSG possess, led by Ousmane Dembele.
These are heady days for Villa - and with Emery at the helm anything is possible in Europe.
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