Tyrone Mings returned to the scene of his greatest shame – and redeemed.
The International of England pulled out a wonderful second half of Goalline clearance and made the platform for a Smash 'N' Grab victory when the power of the Premier League won.
In one way or another, Mings distracted the header of Hans Vanaken from the goal – at the same end of the Jan Breydel Stadium where he had unintentionally caused the downfall of Villa four months ago. At that time he picked up a ball – so that the Black and Blues could win a penalty whose conversion brought them the victory.
With the game in the balance last night, his intervention kept Emery's side on flat terms as a goal and Marco Asensio Penalty Villa fans dreamed in the last eight of a place.
But this was an example of the power of Villa's team as much as everything else, because they had struggled for answers after a clear start. When the game went into his last quarter, Villa's boss was clearly tired of what was going on for him.
He made four substitutions – the fresh life in his side throughout the field. And when a manager can cause people like Asensio and Jacob Ramsey from the bank, this certainly has a positive effect.
Emery is a specialist in European football and he read the script to perfection. His changes eventually paid off, because villa is in sight of a last-day date against Liverpool or Paris St Germain. They will first have to complete the track next week in Villa Park.
And they cannot take Bruges lightly. Nicky Hayen's side has defeated the house of Atalanta and gone in front of the right to reach this round of 16.
They did enough to suggest that it will be a competitive evening – although, with two defeats in their last 23 games on their own patch – Villa will be overwhelming favorites. Their night could hardly have started better.
There were less than three minutes on the clock when your Tielemans pumped a free kick in the area, slightly on a corner from outside the center circle. Mings, whose name was ironically welcomed by the home support when the teams were read – nodded the ball down.
Bailey gambled correctly and pulled himself away from his marker, while he fresh in the bottom corner in the lower corner from 12 meters. But Bruges has something to them – and shortly thereafter they pulled with good effort. Ardon Jashiri switched from one flank to another, his Crossfield Pass found Christos Tzolis, who had worked himself on the wrong side of the right-wing Axel Disasi.
The winger waited for help and found it on the inside when Maxim De Cuyper galloped left-back to collect a left-foot shot over villa keeper Emi Martinez. Neither of the teams could get full control. Emery's men were faintly attacked and it was no surprise when the changes were made to the wholesaler when the game entered in his last quarter.
Then came the moment of Mings – the least touches that changed the course of the outcome.
The benefits were seen in the last ten minutes. Morgan Rogers Cross from the right was beaten by Brandon Mechele past his own keeper. With Bruges who faltered the injustice of all this, they admitted a third in the dying seconds.
It was a tired challenge of Christos Tzolis on Matty Cash – the full -back went away from the goal – so that Asensio could stimulate the penalty and shoot the penalty home and villa fans dreamed of what could be.
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