Club Brugge 2-3 Aston Villa: How the players rated
- Published
Aston Villa XI:
Zion Suzuki: One solid early save denied Jan Virgili but he could not stop Hugo Vetlesen's leveller and was sent the wrong way by Nicolo Tresoldi for Club Brugge's penalty. 6
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: A full debut for the right-back - in place of the injured Matty Cash. He could not stop the cross for Brugge's equaliser and conceded the second-half penalty. 5
Pau Torres: His run through the absent Brugge midfield set up John McGinn's opener, and he helped Villa ride out the pressure as the hosts chased a leveller. 7
Victor Lindelof: The defender has rarely let Villa down since his arrival on a free last summer, and was solid once again in Belgium. 7
Ian Maatsen: Booked early for dissent after failing to win a throw-in so had to walk a tightrope but did that well and held firm as Brugge pushed. 6
Joao Gomes: Returned for the first time since his opening-day red card and set up Emi Buendia to score. 6
Boubacar Kamara: The midfielder made more passes than any other Villa player and tried to keep things ticking in the centre while battling second-half Brugge pressure. 7
John McGinn: The captain scored Villa's first goal of the season with a fine strike and forced Yann Sommer into a save. He is now the club's highest scorer in Europe with 12. 8
Emi Buendia: Shot wide early but netted his first since scoring in the Europa League final in May and remains crucial to the Villa rebuild. 7
George Hemmings: The first teenager to start for Villa in Europe's elite competition since 1983 should have marked the occasion with an early goal. 6
Nicolas Jackson: The striker helped start the move for Buendia's goal and scored his first Villa goal after benefiting from Sommer's rush of blood. 7
Aston Villa substitutes:
Lamare Bogarde (on 68, Wan-Bissaka): 6
Alysson (on 68, Buendia): 6
Ross Barkley (on 68, Kamara): 6
Tammy Abraham (on 81, Jackson): 6
Subs not used: Marco Bizot, James Wright, Tyrone Mings, Matteo Ruggeri, Alejandro Garnacho, Ibrahim Mbaye.
