Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has identified Barcelona among the leading contenders to win the Champions League, praising Hansi Flick’s side ahead of their meeting at the Spotify Camp Nou.
The Spanish coach also singled out Lamine Yamal, suggesting the teenage forward has the potential to become the best player in the world.
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Speaking before Tuesday’s European encounter, Emery highlighted Barcelona’s recent achievements, attacking quality and ability to compete with the strongest teams in Europe.
However, he warned that Aston Villa would need considerable character to cope with the challenge posed by the Catalan side.
Emery believes Barcelona belong to an exclusive group of clubs capable of winning this season’s Champions League.
The Aston Villa manager pointed towards their current form and achievements over the past decade as reasons for considering them serious contenders.
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“They’re the favourites to win this competition, given their current form and what they’ve accomplished over the past decade.
Unai Emery is aware of Barcelona’s threat. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
“We can count them on one hand—five teams—and one of them is Barça,” he began saying, as per SPORT.
The former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain manager also acknowledged the threat Barcelona pose when performing at their optimum level.
“If Barça plays at its best, it can beat anyone. They’re going to push us very hard, and we’ll have to play with a lot of character.”
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Emery reserved particular praise for Yamal, whose performances have established him as one of European football’s most exciting young talents.
“He’s a special player, and you can see in him that he could end up being the best in the world.
“He needs to improve in some areas, but he could end up being a great player.”
Lamine Yamal has earned praise from Unai Emery. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The Aston Villa manager also highlighted the contributions of several other Barcelona players, including Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Rodri.
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“Rodri brings character to the team, just like Raphinha. Gordon is very fast, and Pedri and Fermín also contribute a lot on the offensive end,” he added.
The press conference also brought up one of Barcelona’s most memorable European nights: their extraordinary 6-1 victory over PSG in the 2017 Champions League round of 16.
Emery was managing the French side when Sergi Roberto scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, completing Barcelona’s historic comeback after losing the first leg 4-0.
The Spaniard remains unhappy with aspects of that encounter, suggesting the introduction of video technology would have been particularly relevant.
“A lot happened that day; we all know that. I’ve been in soccer for many years, and VAR would have been very necessary at that moment,” he concluded.
