Club Brugge 1-0 Aston Villa

Aston Villa fell to their first UEFA Champions League defeat as Club Brugge inflicted a 1-0 reverse at Jan Breydelstadion.

Hans Vanaken’s 52^nd-minute penalty proved the difference for the Belgian champions, with the spot-kick awarded in controversial circumstances after Tyrone Mings, unaware Emi Martínez’s short goal-kick had been played to him, scooped the ball up in the area to return it to the Villa goalkeeper.

Martínez had earlier come to Villa’s rescue in the first half as he diverted Ferran Jutgla’s effort on to a post, among a number of fine saves to thwart the Blauw-Zwart.

Ollie Watkins’ low strike went close for the visitors in the first period while captain John McGinn headed over when well placed, but it was matchday four defeat for Unai Emery’s side courtesy of the first goal they have conceded in Europe this season.

The Villans, having won each of their first three fixtures in Europe’s elite club competition with successive clean sheets, host Juventus at Villa Park on matchday five.

But first up is a return to domestic matters this weekend as they look to get back to winning ways at Liverpool.

Centre-back Mings made his Champions League debut as he was handed a starting berth, with Emery showing five changes from Sunday’s Premier League reverse at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blauw-Zwart went into the clash on three points from their opening three matches, triumphing over Sturm Graz while tasting defeat against Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

Both sides battled to gain an upperhand in the opening quarter, Morgan Rogers seeing his strike deflected wide while Maxim De Cuyper’s long-range effort was comfortably collected by Martínez following a free-kick routine.

Villa went agonisingly close in the 21^st minute as Belgium international Youri Tielemans won possession in the middle of the park, fed skipper McGinn, who found Watkins and his low 20-yard effort flew narrowly wide of a post.

McGinn then headed over when well placed, meeting an inch-perfect cross from Boubacar Kamara, making his first Champions League start of the season.

Neither side were dominating play and Club Brugge twice went close themselves on the half-hour mark as Jutgla connected with a cross and saw his strike tipped on to a post by Martínez, before the ball was recycled and Villa’s No.1 was at it again to parry away Christos Tzolis’ 25-yard attempt.

Rogers saw another effort deflected narrowly off target while, at the other end, Mings did well to clear Casper Nielsen’s deft header before Martínez was called into action to deny Ardon Jashari from distance.

As the half-time whistle brought an end to a goalless first period, it was the hosts who had gone closest to finding a breakthrough.

And it was the Blauw-Zwart who opened the scoring in bizarre fashion seven minutes into the second period.

Martínez passed a short goal-kick to Mings, who, having been looking upfield, turned and picked up the ball in the area before returning it to the Villa stopper. Much to the astonishment of everyone in a Villa shirt, a penalty was awarded by referee Tobias Stieler, with a VAR review confirming the decision.

Vanaken subsequently stepped up to convert the resulting spot-kick and leave Martínez beaten for the first time in this season’s competition.

Manager Emery soon tuned to Jhon Durán off the bench before Pau Torres and Jacob Ramsey were also introduced shortly after the hour mark.

Villa, who last faced Belgian opposition in the semi-finals of the club’s historic 1982 European Cup success, looked to create an opening as they went in search of reward, but they were being denied by a resilient Club Brugge side.

Kosta Nedeljković and Emi Buendía were introduced for the final stages of the encounter in an attempt to find a late leveller.

Yet it was the hosts who claimed the spoils in what was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.