Emiliano Buendía scores one of the Champions League's opening goals as Aston Villa beat Club Brugge

Emiliano Buendía arrived at the right moment for Aston Villa. The midfielder took part in a team move and scored the 2-1 goal against Club Brugge in the English club's opening match of the 2026/27 Champions League.

It was the fifth goal of the competition's opening matchday and Buendía's first of the season. He had started Aston Villa's first three Premier League matches without finding the net, making his goal in Belgium a significant early moment in the new campaign.

The Mar del Plata-born player had a strong 2025/26 season, appearing in 54 matches and scoring 11 goals. In the Premier League, he contributed six goals and two assists in 36 games.

At 29, Buendía is also navigating a distinctive stage in his career. He came close to being called up by Lionel Scaloni for the World Cup, but did not make the final squad. Aston Villa remains the setting where he is trying to reassert himself, and he opened his European season with a goal that restored his team's lead.