Emery says Aston Villa must rise to Barcelona challenge as Flick’s influence grows

Unai Emery says Barcelona remain the leading contenders to win the Champions League as Aston Villa prepare to face the Catalan side at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

The Aston Villa manager praised Barcelona’s attacking quality and said their midfield, led by Rodri, Pedri and Fermin, would present a major test for his team.

“Barcelona have always been the leading favourites to win the Champions League,” Emery said at his pre-match news conference. “You can choose any five teams to compete for the title and Barcelona would certainly be among them. They were favourites in the past and they still are.

“If they play at their best level, they are capable of beating any team in the world.”

Barcelona were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in their previous Champions League match, but Emery felt the result could have gone either way.

“It was a very even and extremely open match,” he said. “In the end, Paris Saint-Germain won, but it was a high-level game that either team could have won. In my opinion, they are the two teams most likely to reach the final.”

Emery also assessed the impact of Barcelona’s defeat by Real Madrid, saying that match had exposed a different set of issues.

“The situation was different against Real Madrid, and Barcelona seemed to need some adjustments,” he said, as reported by AS. “It was clear they were missing some players in defence, and that may have played a part in the final result.”

The Spaniard singled out Barcelona’s midfield, describing Rodri as the world’s best player in that position.

“Rodri is the best midfielder in the world, and if we put him together with Pedri and Fermin, Barcelona have a midfield that is difficult for any team to get past,” Emery said.

He also highlighted the threat posed by Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, with the latter currently closest to being regarded as the world’s best player.

“Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are wonderful players, and few teams possess that level of attacking quality,” he said. “At the moment, Lamine is the player closest to being the best in the world.”

Emery praised the work of Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who has been in charge for a little over two years.

“Flick’s influence is clear,” he said. “He is building a winning team with a distinctive character, a team that makes you enjoy watching football, and one with an unwavering commitment to attacking.”

Aston Villa have been together for four years, Emery added, but are still learning how to handle challenges against teams of Barcelona’s level.

“We are trying to find our way,” he said. “We are looking for new challenges and learning how to face teams like Barcelona, considering the big difference between us and them.

“We know they are the leading favourites and that they will demand a lot from us. We have to rise to the responsibility if we want to avoid losing on every front.”

Emery believes Barcelona face greater pressure because they are among the four strongest contenders for the trophy, although he said their players were accustomed to it.

“They face more pressure because they are one of the four teams most likely to win the competition,” he said. “But these are players who are comfortable under that pressure and used to performing when they are the leading favourites.”