Home » Football » LaLiga » FC Barcelona

Aston Villa: Unai Emery aims to prove Villa's worth among the elite against Barcelona in the Champions League

Emery looks to show Villa can compete with elite By Nick Mashiter in Barcelona Football reporter Published 1 hour ago Unai Emery walked into Villa Park four years ago with two clear aims. "My dream is to win a trophy…

By Nick Mashiter · BBC Sport

Published: Tuesday, 3 November 2026 at 7:33 AM

Key Things to Know

Unai Emery wants Aston Villa to demonstrate their elite status against Barcelona in the Champions League.
Villa entered the Champions League encounter with nine points in the league stage, three ahead of Barcelona.
Emery holds a difficult personal record at the Nou Camp, having lost 14 of his 15 matches there.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery aims to prove his side can compete with Europe's elite as they face Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the Champions League. Celebrating his 55th birthday on Tuesday, Emery views the match as a benchmark following Villa's Europa League triumph in May, which ended the club's 30-year trophy drought.

Despite losing key players over the summer, Villa entered the fixture with nine points in the competition's league stage compared to Barcelona's six. Opposing manager Hansi Flick praised Emery as one of the world's best coaches, even though Emery has lost 14 of his 15 career matches at the Nou Camp.

Read the full article on BBC Sport

Aston Villa: Unai Emery aims to prove Villa's worth among the elite against Barcelona in the Champions League

More Barcelona News

Never Miss a Sports Update