Aston Villa finally found their scoring touch in dramatic fashion, storming into a 3-1 lead inside 43 minutes before holding on to beat Club Brugge 3-2 in their opening Champions League fixture on Tuesday night.
Unai Emery's side had gone into the game without a goal in their first three Premier League matches, but any concerns about their attacking form evaporated in Bruges as they produced a clinical first-half display in front of goal.
John McGinn broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, latching onto a pass from centre-back Pau Torres, who had driven forward from defence before picking out his teammate. McGinn curled a superb left-footed effort beyond Yann Sommer and into the far corner, a goal that also made him Villa's all-time leading scorer in major European competitions.
Club Brugge hit back almost immediately, though. Jan Virgili burst past full-back debutant Aaron Wan-Bissaka and squared for Hugo Vetlesen, who slotted home confidently to level the score in the 19th minute.
The response from Villa was swift. Within three minutes, a slick passing move involving Jackson and João Gomes ended with Emi Buendía tapping in from close range to restore the visitors' lead.
Just before the break, Torres was again the architect, sending a long ball over the top of the Brugge defence for Nicolas Jackson, who rounded Sommer and finished into an empty net for his first goal since joining Villa in the summer. It gave Villa a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the interval.
The second half brought late drama, as it so often does in Villa's recent meetings with the Belgian club. A cross struck the arm of Wan-Bissaka inside the penalty area, and after a VAR review, referee Sandro Schärer awarded a penalty. Nicolò Tresoldi converted confidently to reduce the deficit and set up a tense finish.
Club Brugge pushed hard for a leveller, with Suzuki producing a couple of important saves to preserve his side's advantage. The goalkeeper also pushed a Tresoldi effort onto the post, while Lamare Bogarde saw a chance cleared off the line by home full-back Joaquin Seys as Villa searched for a fourth to settle the contest.
Despite the nerves, Villa held firm to secure their first win in all competitions this season, and their first ever victory over Club Brugge.
Speaking after the match, Unai Emery praised his side's resilience under pressure.