Aston Villa's UCL charge: Asensio shines as January signings deliver | OneFootball

Aston Villa has qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League after a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie. Having already won 3-1 away in the first leg, they progressed with an aggregate score of 6-1. Marco Asensio came off the bench to score a double, while Ian Maatsen added one in between.

Unai Emery's side is playing in its first-ever Champions League campaign. Wednesday’s win was their seventh in the competition, only Lazio and Valencia have won more matches in their debut campaign. Up next for them is a tough fixture in the quarter-finals against French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who eliminated Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Midlands club made some key signings in the January transfer window. A mid-season transfer window is particularly tricky, as it is difficult to acquire desired players when they are already in the middle of a campaign. Often, players find it hard to settle in after signing in the winter window.

Even before one of Aston Villa's prized possessions, Jhon Durán was signed by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, the club had already conducted business. The Colombian’s departure was expected, and by the time he left, Unai Emery had secured Dutch forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund. They also signed right-back Andrés García from Levante.

However, the most influential signings were made in the final days of the window. Aston Villa brought in on loan, Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain, and Axel Disasi from Chelsea.

All five signings have played a crucial role in Villa's campaign since their arrival. Marcus Rashford assisted both goals in their win over Chelsea, while Axel Disasi was the man of the match in their 1-0 Premier League victory at Brentford. Andrés García has already made seven appearances, starting in six of them, while Donyell Malen has also featured seven times since signing for the club.

But the biggest impact has come from Marco Asensio. On Wednesday, the Spaniard scored twice in the win over Club Brugge, taking his tally to seven goals in eight matches. He had also scored in the first leg and was the match-winner in their victories against both Chelsea and Cardiff, netting twice in each game.

Incidentally, up next for Asensio and his club in the Champions League is his parent club, Paris Saint-Germain. Unlike in the Premier League, he is eligible to face them. Due to a rule change ahead of the 2018-19 season, he is not cup-tied, even though he has already played for PSG in the competition.

Aston Villa, currently eighth in the Premier League, sits just four points behind Chelsea in fourth. The Champions League is not their only opportunity for silverware, they also have an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Championship side Preston North End, with hopes of going all the way.