Aston Villa’s 3-1 triumph against Club Brugge in the Champions League drew a reaction from former player Moussa Diaby.

Diaby, who left Villa last summer for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in a £50 million move, still keeps an eye on his old club. Despite spending just one season at Villa Park, he built a strong friendship with Leon Bailey.

Villa have progressed in the Champions League without him, securing a spot in the round of 16 after finishing in the top eight. On Tuesday night, Unai Emery’s side earned a crucial 3-1 away win in Belgium, setting themselves up well for the return leg next week.

Bailey opened his Champions League account for Villa, slotting home after Tyrone Mings headed down a Youri Tielemans free-kick. Club Brugge quickly equalised, but Villa regained the lead in the 82nd minute when Brandon Mechele turned Morgan Rogers’ cross into his own net.

Shortly after, Matty Cash won a penalty, and Marco Asensio confidently converted from the spot. Bailey later shared images from the match on Instagram, captioning them: “First leg win. UTV,” with a tick emoji. Diaby was seen in the comments simply writing: “Broo,” followed by two star-struck emojis.

Speaking post-match, Emery praised his team’s approach. “It played out as we expected. I knew we’d face difficulties,” he said. “We respected their structure, adapted more than usual, and kept good positioning. The key moments were set-pieces and the first goal. We’ll review the game with the players to prepare for future European challenges. I’m pleased but calm—there’s still 90 minutes to play.”

Villa now shift their focus to the Premier League, facing Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday at 5:30pm.