Aston Villa boss Unai Emery ready for ‘special match’ against Bayern Munich
By Jonathan Veal, PA
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is ready for a “special, special match” when his side welcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Villa, who opened their campaign with a 3-0 win away at Young Boys, will play their first home fixture in Europe’s top competition since a quarter-final defeat to Juventus in 1983.
German giants Bayern travel to Villa Park for a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final, which Villa famously won.
Emery, who has experience of beating Bayern in the Champions League while manager of Paris St Germain and Villarreal, says his side are the underdogs.
“We are very happy to face Bayern here at home and hopefully we can enjoy tomorrow and we can compete and show our best,” he said.
“It is a special, special match for everyone.
“When it’s a new competition we are motivated and so excited to play tomorrow with our supporters in Villa Park. Remembering as well the final that Villa played against them 42 years ago.
“Now at this moment in our process we have to try to play one match more. Of course it’s against one of the best teams in the world and the favourite with three or four others to win this competition.
“We are very motivated coming back to Europe last year, with Aston Villa not playing Bayern Munich since 40 years ago.
“I think Europe is something very, very important and very, very difficult. This is the challenge we have now.
“Tomorrow they are favourites, much bigger favourites than us. Tomorrow I want to compete against them.”
Emery will be taking charge of his 188th European match overall while it will be just the second in the Champions League for opposite number Vincent Kompany.
His first one ended pretty well, beating Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 a fortnight ago.
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Kompany was appointed at the Allianz Arena having been relegated with Burnley, but Emery says the Belgian is set for a successful career.
“His career is very recognised as a player,” he said. “He started two or three years ago and he worked at Man City with (Pep Guardiola) and he has been successful so quickly.
“With his experiences and working with Guardiola, everything I watch as him as a coach says he will have a very good future.
“Last year was difficult with Burnley, he didn’t achieve it to keep them in the Premier League but I respect him a lot.
“Bayern Munich, with the players they have for him, it’s easier to get the level they will want to have in the league and the Champions League.”