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Aston Villa edge Club Brugge 3-2 as Haaland brace seals City win at Porto

Aston Villa opened their Champions League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Club Brugge in Belgium, while Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win at Porto courtesy of an Erling Haaland double.

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Aston Villa edge Club Brugge 3-2 as Haaland brace seals City win at Porto
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Aston Villa launched their 2026/27 Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Club Brugge on Tuesday, securing their first victory of the European season in a match that went to the wire in Belgium.

Manchester City made lighter work of their opening fixture, beating Porto 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker’s double gave City a comfortable cushion and a strong platform heading into the group stage.

Villa’s win was the more dramatic of the two results. Travelling to Belgium without a Champions League victory to their name this season, they produced a resilient display to edge a five-goal thriller and get their European account up and running.

Haaland’s contribution at Porto underlined his continued importance to Pep Guardiola’s side in continental competition. The two goals took City’s evening to a controlled conclusion and reinforced their status as one of the competition’s leading contenders.

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