Can Aston Villa build on their return to form in the Champions League on Tuesday night?
It has been a pretty rough six or so weeks, with Unai Emery watching his side go eight games without a win in all competitions.
But fast forward to the present and Aston Villa have won back-to-back matches in the Premier League and can now prepare for their Champions League clash against RB Leipzig a little easier.
You can’t have too many complaints about how the team has performed in the Champions League because there has only been one defeat and one goal conceded.
Aston Villa are yet to concede from open play, which is pretty good going given that they are playing in Europe’s elite competition and have shipped 23 goals on the domestic circuit.
But now they face an RB Leipzig side that have shocked many with their performances – losing every game so far as a Pot 1 team and on the brink of elimination.
Leipzig boss Marco Rose has his work cut out, but he understands what his side is up against when Villa come to town.
Marco Rose hails Unai Emery and Aston Villa’s ‘impressive’ tactics
Villa faced Leipzig in a pre-season friendly this summer, losing 2-0, with Diego Carlos getting sent off, so it will be interesting to see if he starts.
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Rose labelled the opposition’s tactics as ‘impressive’ and how they perform ‘pre-planned scenarios’ during the match, as he told his RB Leipzig pre-match press conference.
The German also added that he ‘appreciates’ the man in Villa’s dugout and he thinks Emery is a ‘great coach’.
Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, gives instructions during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 training session at Bodymoor Heath...
Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images
“Aston Villa are a very well-organised team who operate based around pre-planned scenarios,” stated Rose. “It is impressive, the structure that they play with.
“That does make the preparation for the game simpler, since you know what to expect. There is a lot of pace and quality in their ranks and they threaten from set-pieces.
“Aston Villa experienced a similar dip in performance of late but they’ve now won two games in a row. I appreciate all my colleagues, no matter who you are. I don’t know Unai Emery personally, but what he has achieved with his teams speaks for itself. He’s a great coach.”
What RB Leipzig have said about Emery’s style of play at Villa
You wonder what the players have learnt from pre-season and whether they can or will take anything from it.
At the end of the day, it’s a pre-season match, so the result is irrelevant and it’s all about players building up their fitness and coaches further strengthening their tactics.
Emery’s style of play has been a joy to watch at Villa and it has helped them reach this elite level, with RB Leipzig’s official website sharing their thoughts on how the manager plays.
This is what they wrote:
Unai Emery’s style of play
• Intense pressing game
• Players switch positions
• Best offside trap in Europe
• 4-2-3-1 formation
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