Unai Emery has challenged his Aston Villa players to cement their surprise status as favourites to automatically qualify for the Champions League last 16. Villa, who are yet to concede in the competition, can make it four successive wins if they beat Club Brugge on Wednesday. The Villa manager estimates his team will need 16 or 17 points to guarantee a place in the top eight.
Emery said Villa have enjoyed being a “fighter team” after returning to Europe’s most prestigious club stage but has encouraged his players to take the next step in Belgium. “We have the possibility to get one step ahead in this competition, to be contenders for the top eight,” Emery said. “This is really an amazing objective that we can achieve. We are aware about the possibility to get the fourth victory, 12 points and the expectation for the next round to be in the top eight, maybe it [would take] 16, 17 points. If we win, clearly we can be contenders to be in the top eight.
“They will be there, the best teams in Europe, they will be there. But there will be some surprises – if we get there, we are a surprise because we were not contenders or favourites to be in the top eight, maybe [to reach] the next round but not to be in the top eight. Some favourites are going to be out but with the possibility to play the [playoff] round against the teams finishing in the top eight.”
For Amadou Onana, who has 19 Belgium caps, the game carries extra significance. The midfielder moved to the country aged 11 from Senegal, where he was born, but despite being on the books of Anderlecht, the now dissolved RWS Bruxelles and Zulte Waregem he has never played a professional club game in Belgium.
“I can’t wait for it,” said the 23-year-old, who moved to Germany at 15. “It is special because this is what I call home. It’s always nice to come back to Belgium. I didn’t get the chance to play here in Bruges but I know it’s one of the biggest clubs in Belgium.”
Villa, who are hoping to return to winning ways after defeats by Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup and Tottenham in the Premier League, are without Ross Barkley and Matty Cash because of injury.
Asked about wishing to preserve Villa’s 100% record in the Champions League, Onana said: “It would mean a lot for us and for the fans. I don’t think that many expected us to be in this position at this stage of the competition. That’s the target, to be first in the Champions League and we want to keep it.”
