VIDEO: Tyrone Mings has had a mare! Aston Villa captain concedes extraordinary penalty against Club Brugge as he inexplicably PICKS UP ball in Champions League clash

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez took a goal kick and passed the ball towards Mings, who assumed the play was still in pause and proceeded to pick up the ball with his hands. Brugge players immediately protested and German referee Tobias Stieler, after consulting with VAR, pointed to the spot as he recognised it as a punishable offence. Mings and his teammates pleaded their case to referee Stieler, arguing that he had simply misunderstood the situation, but their protests fell on deaf ears. Subsequently, Hans Vanaken converted from the spot, sending Martinez the wrong way, to give his team a crucial advantage.

The penalty awarded against Mings is particularly contentious as it contrasts with a similar incident involving Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes in last season’s Champions League. In that situation, Gabriel, under pressure, bent down and picked up a pass from Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya during their match against Bayern Munich. Although Bayern players protested, the referee on that occasion did not penalise Gabriel for handball, allowing him to escape unscathed and avoid a similar costly error.

Mings was making his first start in European competition following a lengthy recovery from a serious knee injury. However, the occasion quickly turned sour, as his handball incident not only contributed to Brugge’s lead but also saw Mings substituted shortly afterwards. Villa will return to action against Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday evening.