- Emery’s side are in great position to qualify for last-16 of the Champions League
- Juventus are two points further back in the standings at the halfway stage
- Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all on bombshell chat with Mo Salah – LISTEN NOW to It’s All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery called Juventus one of the superpowers of world football ahead of their Champions League meeting on Wednesday.
Villa will be eyeing another massive scalp after they beat Bayern Munich last month when Thiago Motta’s Serie A outfit come to Villa Park.
Although Emery’s Premier League side have taken more points from their opening four games, the Spaniard says Juve travel to Birmingham as favourites.
‘It’s a team with Real Madrid in Spain, Bayern Munich in Germany, Paris St Germain in France and Juventus,’ he said. ‘They are maybe the best teams in the world, historically and now.
‘To watch them at Villa Park in a match we have tomorrow is fantastic. And we want to compete.
‘They are a very important three points of course, but even if we take one point, it’s good.
Unai Emery is hoping his side can take their second European scalp in the Champions League following their win over Bayern Munich earlier in the competition
Juventus remain unbeaten in Serie A this season but they sit fifth after recording seven draws in their first 13 games
Thiago Motta was appointed Juve boss at the start of the season after impressing with Bologna
‘Juventus is the favourite, they have more experiences, they are a very good team, they have very good players and they are the favourite to be in the top eight.
‘We’re in the Champions League trying to be consistent. Hopefully we can play lots more years in the Champions League, now we have to try to face Juventus being competitive. They are more or less favourites to win this competition.’
Villa won their opening three games in the premier club competition of European football but lost to Club Brugge last time out.
They remain in eighth position in the new league phase – with a top-eight finish earning automatic qualification to the last 16 – and Emery says victory would put them in a good position.
‘We are at the moment in the top eight,’ he added. ‘Our objective is to be in the next round. We have the possibility to get in the top eight, we will try to get this.
‘Tomorrow if we win, we can maybe be a contender to get it but today not.’
Emery rubbished the idea of Villa trying to re-sign midfielder Douglas Luiz from Juventus in January.
The Brazil international was sold to Juve in the summer in a bid to curb financial fair play issues but he has had a torrid start to life in Turin, making just two Serie A starts.
Villa will be hoping for a similarly fervent home support on Wednesday night as the one they experienced during their 1-0 win over Bayern Munich
Villa are hoping for relief from their stuttering Premier League form that has seen them fall to eighth in the standings
He is ruled out of a Villa Park return with an injury.
Emery said: ‘I don’t understand the question. He must be happy there, he must get the challenge there with his quality and to help them to get the objective collectively.
‘I’m not thinking he would want to leave from there but I don’t know. He’s injured so won’t be here.’
Emery said Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara were fit for the match but Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana were still missing.
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