Unai Emery spoke to members of the media on Wednesday afternoon to preview the second leg of Aston Villa's UEFA Europa League quarter-final.
Villa take a 3-1 lead into the tie against Bologna following a strong performance in northern Italy last week, but the manager is taking nothing for granted at Villa Park.
Here are the key lines from his press conference...
On the approach to Thursday night…
Unai Emery.
“We are in the quarter-final second leg and we had a good result, but this is a team that, when analysing them, watching their experience and their coach’s career playing in three finals the last three years, the respect is massive.
“They deserve this respect. When they were playing against Roma, maybe we could think that Roma was the favourite, and they beat the favourite.
“How they are competing, how they are as a team in their style and idea, how they are pushing in all their matches, we are so, so respectful. I am a coach with my own experiences, and we must play the second leg tomorrow, analysing everything we did there, understanding that tomorrow is in Villa Park.
“How we must adapt to them here and there is the same because they are going to play the same match: so, so intense, aggressive, getting duels, man-to-man, and attacking us.
“They are defending by attacking us; they are attacking by attacking us; and I respect and appreciate their performance a lot. We have a very good team, creating our strong structure individually and collectively, and we are competing, we are performing and we are getting good results.
“Tomorrow, starting the match from the first minute, we must be focused 100%.”
On embracing the occasion…
Aston Villa v LOSC Lille UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg
Aston Villa v LOSC Lille UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg
“To play in Europe and to play a quarter-final is a privilege. I am sharing it with the players, with the club and with the supporters and enjoying it.
“I like it a lot to play in Europe and I’m so excited about how we are getting the last matches in the Premier League and how we are competing in the Europa League, I’m enjoying it a lot.
“I know tomorrow is a challenge but it’s a match we must be really focused on and respectful of. I am enjoying today, I will be enjoying this afternoon, this evening, I’m going to enjoy tomorrow morning.
“Each moment we are in the process, preparing the games, I am so, so happy. I am trying to share it with the players and the supporters.
“Tomorrow at Villa Park I expect a huge atmosphere, helping us, supporting us, enjoying. When we are in trouble they must help us, the supporters, and they are going to push the players to play with energy, to play organised, to play with all the demands we will have from the opponent. And then we will play with personality.
On Bologna striker Santiago Castro...
Santiago Castro.
“He is progressing a lot. We played against them in September and he was a very good striker, but now he’s even better.
“He threatened us a lot and we must defend him strongly because he’s very good in duels, he’s very good at heading, and he’s very good at running in behind.
“Not only with him, Orsolini, Bernardeschi and Rowe – they have a lot of very important players, individually with their skills.
“Of course, Castro is one player we knew, and now how he’s progressing is really fantastic.”
On being ready for every scenario…
Unai Emery.
“We are ready to start winning or to start losing (at the beginning of the game). We are ready. I have given the players the message that anything can happen.
“Keep the game plan tomorrow, extending the first leg we played. How we scored the third goal was really fantastic and important, but they can score one goal in one moment.
“We must be ready for it.”