Emery marks 55th birthday as Aston Villa face Barcelona in Champions League
· Sports · BBC Sport, Al Jazeera
Unai Emery celebrates his 55th birthday on Tuesday as Aston Villa travel to Barcelona's Nou Camp in the Champions League, having won the Europa League in May and ended a 30-year trophy drought. Villa earned the right to face the Spanish giants after overcoming club anger over comments suggesting Emery might seek an elite move, with the Spaniard signed to a contract extending to 2029. Emery will use the match as a benchmark to gauge Villa's progress against a Barcelona side deemed favourites due to their recent dominance. Villa's summer squad overhaul saw key players depart for bigger clubs, but new signings like Johan Manzambi have injected fresh energy into the squad.
Why it matters
Emery's Barcelona tie provides a rare chance for Villa to benchmark their progress against Europe's elite, testing whether the club can genuinely compete at the highest level after ending a three-decade trophy wait.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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