Villa written off as pundit insists 'no disrespect' and Simon Jordan agrees

Aston Villa beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a last 16 Champions League tie to all but ensure they progress, but how far can they go in the elite competition?

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Aston Villa and Tyrone Mings have been praised for negotiating a potentially tricky last 16 first-leg tie at Club Brugge - but also warned that their time in the 2024/25 Champions League is drawing to a close.

Villa’s 3-1 victory in Belgium, against a team they lost to in the initial league phase of the competition, was hailed by TalkSport duo Danny Murphy and Simon Jordan, but neither of them see Unai Emery and Co progressing beyond the next round.

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Murphy told listeners: “It’s done. Villa are really good at home. There's no way they're not scoring at home.” But asked how far Villa could go in the competition, he added: “I think they'll go out in the next stage.”

Villa would face either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight, with Murphy confident that his old club will be the ones facing Emery’s side in the next round.

They take on PSG at the Parc des Princes this evening, and Murphy said: “If Liverpool go through - actually, when Liverpool go through - they'll take on Villa, but that's it. That's no disrespect to Villa, I just think over two games against Liverpool they won't have enough.”

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Should Villa and Liverpool progress, the first leg of their quarter-final would be played at Anfield on April 8 or 9, with the second leg at Villa Park in the week commencing April 14.

Jordan, the pundit and former Crystal Palace owner, added: “If Aston Villa are likely to play Liverpool, then I would be with Danny. Liverpool are top of the Premier League for a reason.”

Acknowledging that Villa would cause Liverpool problems after the recent 2-2 draw between the two sides in the Premier League, Murphy added: “They showed that in the league games between the two. Villa have some brilliant attacking players to see them through, but not over two games.

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“In one game Villa can beat Liverpool, and they've shown that. They gave Liverpool a good game in the league, but Liverpool also had enough chances to win three games that day.

“Going to Anfield on a big European night, although Villa players have been there in the league, it's a different feeling. But they are dangerous, without a doubt.”

Murphy went on to praise Villa defender Mings for what he described as a game-defining moment during the victory over Brugge.

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It was a moment of redemption for Mings, 118 days after he inexplicably picked up a goal kick in the Villa penalty area to gift Brugge the spot kick that decided the league phase game in November.

But here he first set up Leon Bailey’s opener for the visitors and then produced a sensational goal-saving clearance which swung the balance of the match.

Murphy said: “The athleticism from Mings to clear that one was remarkable. It was going in but he managed to get a foot on it to get it past the post. That was incredible, that was a game defining moment. And now Villa are in pole position, I think they'll definitely go through.”

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