McGinn Becomes Villa’s Top European Scorer

Aston Villa captain John McGinn scored the opening goal in a 3-2 Champions League victory over Club Brugge, curling a left-footed effort into the corner in the 11th minute. The goal made McGinn Villa’s all-time leading scorer in UEFA club competitions with 12 goals, moving him ahead of Ollie Watkins and club greats including Peter Withe and Gary Shaw. Villa responded impressively in Europe after collecting just one point and failing to score in their first three Premier League matches, adding two more goals before halftime. Nicolas Jackson scored his first goal for the club, while Emiliano Buendía also found the net as Villa took control before Brugge mounted its comeback. The match also marked a high-scoring start to a Champions League season that followed last campaign’s record goals-per-game rate.