Fixtures
- Club Brugge Vs. Aston Villa – Wed, Nov 6th 2024, 17:45
Unai Emery met with media outlets from across the continent at Jan Breydel Stadium on Tuesday evening, to preview his side’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Club Brugge.
Emery’s Villans look to maintain their perfect start to this season’s competition in Belgium on Wednesday (ko 5.45pm UK), and become only the fourth side in history to win each of their first four Champions League fixtures.
Here are the key lines from his pre-match press conference…
On separating competitions…
“We are going to try to separate both competitions because the last two matches, we lost – in the Carabao Cup, and we lost on Sunday against Tottenham, and we drew against Bournemouth at home. The last three matches, we only got one point.
“We are trying to separate the different competitions, focusing in each moment on how we are.
“But of course, we are building the team, and we are trying to create a strong structure in some issues, like to be tactically more understanding, being focused for 90 minutes [and] how we can feel stronger mentally and emotionally.
“We started the first match against Young Boys, and it was the first match for a lot of players, the first match for the club after a long time, and we were really focusing 100%, clearly using all we can in our power, and we did it.
“And once again, Bayern Munich, was repeating, but playing the second match with the same circumstances. After a long time, in Villa Park, in the Champions League.
“After a long time, some players playing the second match in the Champions League, but at home, and even more excited because it was Bayern Munich.
“We did a fantastic job because we were focusing 100%, each one trying to get the better of them on the field, and we achieved the victory, being successful in our match, in everything.
“The last one we played against Bologna, at home in the Champions League. We were excited and motivated, and we got it.
“Tomorrow is the same – we have the possibility to get one step ahead in the competition, to be a contender to be in the top eight. And this is a really amazing objective we can achieve, and we can face tomorrow.
“But, if we are not playing 100% focused, like the matches before in the Champions League, it is going to be difficult.
“We played last year taking our own experiences in Europe, and always, when we played every match away, it was very difficult.
“We are playing very motivated. And tomorrow, Brugge, maybe we can feel something like when we were playing against Bayern Munich at home, how we were feeling with our supporters, our motivation and playing 100% focused and very intense, very competitive.
“Tomorrow, Brugge, maybe is going to be the same, and we have to be ready to stop them, to impose our gameplan and to play in this competition how we are doing.
“But of course, this is separate, each competition, and then, how we are building the team.
“Tomorrow, it is a very good opponent, to try to come back again with our successful way in this competition, being organised, competing like we are competing, being consistent, and getting points.”
On pressure…
“We are not feeling it like a pressure, and of course, tomorrow, sometimes we are speaking about how teams are favourites in each competition, and favourites in front of us. We are accepting it, and we are competing and trying to be there.
“We can’t refuse, tomorrow we might be a favourite against Brugge, not to win tomorrow, but favourite to be in front after the eight matches in the Champions League.
“For me, tomorrow, playing away, and playing here with their supporters and how they are – they need now the points to try to keep possibilities to get into the next round – they will need tomorrow to win.
“If we are playing at our good level, of course, for them it is going to be difficult, but if we are not playing [at] our best level, maybe for them it is going to be easier.
“Of course, we are expecting them [to be difficult], firstly because they have a bad patch, but they have experiences in Europe more than us.”
On “making a statement”…
“Of course, tomorrow we are aware about the possibility to get the fourth victory and 12 points, and the expectation for the next round, or to be in the top eight, is maybe 16/17 points.
“They will be there, the best teams in Europe, but there will be some surprises. If we get there, we are a surprise. We are not contenders or favourites to be in the top eight. Maybe, yes, to be in the next round, but not to be in the top eight.
“Of course, some teams are going to be out [eliminated], and favourites more than us, but with a possibility to play in the next round and to play then against the teams finishing in the top eight.
“But of course, we are building a team and creating with new players and some players coming back from injury. The most important [thing] for me now, of course, is to be competitive and to get as many points as we can.
“But the main objective is to build a team. I am building a team strongly like we did last year, and we are really being consistent.
“If we are not, it is difficult in the next month to get our objectives in different competitions.”
On Villa being a “surprise package”…
“Us being in the top eight, for me, is a surprise. It is not a big surprise, but it is a surprise.
“At the beginning of the season, we were not a favourite to be in the top eight. Now, we are a favourite. Maybe, after we won three matches, it is easier for us than another team who maybe were favourites after they started the season.
“I think we can analyse the table and remember the teams that are there at the beginning of the season and now how they are.
“Of course, we weren’t a favourite to be in the top eight, but after the first three matches we won, and even when we won against Bayern Munich at home.
“Before, we were speaking here and we had one motivation, to win and become a contender for the top eight.
“In the dressing room, we were speaking about our objective, our motivation, how we were being motivated for something – of course to beat Bayern Munich, to play in the Champions League, to play at Villa Park.
“Another one was: ‘If we win today, we can be a contender to be in the top eight’. And now, of course, after, we won against Bologna.
“Tomorrow is a new challenge and, after it, if we are winning, we can be clearly contenders. Before this, we can’t be a contender now.
“Tomorrow, if we are winning, we can be clearly contenders to be in the top eight, but of course, tomorrow is going to be very difficult.
“To beat Brugge here tomorrow [will be difficult], and the players know, because we had our own experiences in Europe last year, and we can remember our own experiences.”
On team news…
“They aren’t here with us, Matty Cash and Ross Barkley. Those two players have small injuries. They are not available.”
