Lamine Yamal points towards the Barcelona badge on his shirt
Lamine Yamal points towards the Barcelona badge on his shirt
David Ramos/Getty Images
Aston Villa defender Pau Torres has welcomed the challenge of facing Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal in the Champions League, expressing his eagerness to test himself against the best.
Villa’s Europa League triumph last season, coupled with a top-four finish in the Premier League, secured their return to the Champions League this campaign.
Unai Emery’s side have made an impressive start to their European campaign, winning all three of their opening fixtures to collect nine points.
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Torres has started every game in the competition so far, contributing two assists, both of which came in the opening fixture against Club Brugge.
On Tuesday night, the Villans face a trip to the Camp Nou to take on Barcelona, who have won two and lost one of their three matches, leaving them eighth in the standings.
One of the main attacking threats in the Blaugrana ranks is Yamal, who has already made his mark in the competition with two goals and four assists across his three appearances.
Torres has welcomed the prospect of coming up against the teenager, explaining that facing players of Yamal’s calibre offers an opportunity to test himself against the very best.
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Season Position
2025–26 4th
2024–25 6th
2023–24 4th
2022–23 7th
2021–22 14th
The 29-year-old acknowledged the challenge of keeping the Barcelona winger quiet, describing him as an unpredictable player who can catch defenders off guard and is difficult to contain through individual efforts alone.
He also stressed the importance of remaining alert and working collectively at the back, with defensive cover from his team-mates likely to be crucial in limiting the 19-year-old’s influence.
Torres told Catalan daily Sport: “When you play in these games, you always want to come up against the best to see where you stand.
“It will be a pleasure to play against him and have to defend against him on certain occasions.
“He always catches you by surprise, he is unpredictable, and often one player is not enough to keep him in check.
“We will have to be very alert and provide cover for each other.”
The Villans are among five sides yet to drop points in the Champions League and will be keen to preserve their perfect record.
However, Barcelona’s unbeaten run of 15 home matches against English opposition underlines the scale of the task awaiting Emery’s men at the Camp Nou.
Villa head to Spain looking to put a disappointing result behind them after being held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday.
That result leaves the club ninth in the Premier League table, having managed just three wins in the competition this season.