Aston Villa opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 victory over Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium, earning their first win of the season. John McGinn broke the deadlock before Emiliano Buendia restored the visitors' lead later in the opening period, setting the stage for a successful European outing.
Nicolas Jackson doubled the advantage just before the interval by scoring his first goal since joining the club. The striker, who arrived from Chelsea for a fee reported to be up to £65m, was brought in to lead the line following Ollie Watkins' departure. Nicolo Tresoldi halved the deficit for the Belgian side on the hour mark, but Villa held firm to take all three points.
Football Insider highlighted Jackson's influence at the Jan Breydel Stadium, citing Fotmob data that credited him with three attempts, two on target, and an expected goals figure of 1.17. He also created three chances and completed four recoveries during what was described as his most effective display in a Villa shirt so far.
The forward had been registered in time to face Arsenal in the Premier League at the end of August, according to Sports Mole, after Unai Emery opted to deploy him centrally rather than using Buendia as a false nine. Difficult early fixtures meant the former Chelsea player had to wait until the trip to Belgium to open his account.
Birmingham Live noted that the result keeps Villa on track for another top-eight finish in the league phase, a position they achieved during the 2024/25 competition. Each victory in this stage of the tournament brings approximately £1.8m in prize money, with further sums available based on final standings and knockout progression.
Aston Villa published a post-match interview with Jackson following the final whistle, confirming the significance of the moment for the new signing. With the summer transfer window now closed until January 2027, the focus shifts entirely to integrating the attacking additions already on the books into Emery's system across both domestic and European competitions.
