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Aston Villa have taken their return to the UEFA Champions League in their stride this season. After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, excitement was at an all-time high for the Villains’ maiden foray onto the continental stage since the European Cup was rebranded in the early 1990s, but now, fans are cautiously optimistic that they may see their team go all the way.
Victories against Bayern Munich, Bologna, RB Leipzig, and Celtic were enough to secure their direct passage to the round of 16 before a two-legged victory against Club Brugge sealed their spot in the quarterfinals. Now, the unenviable task of a last-eight contest against Paris Saint-Germain looms large.
Villa’s Hopes
Last season, the guys over at the popular At Odds podcast discussed Arsenal’s return to the Champions League and how difficult the added games are to manage as a squad. Villa has seemingly had no such difficulties. The January additions of superstars such as Marcus Rashford and Marcos Asensio have bolstered their squad to prepare for the tournament’s latter stages, and the time is nigh for them to deliver on the grandest stage.
French heavyweights PSG are without question the form team heading into the business end of the Champions League, and Villa will certainly be wary. The Parisians beat tournament favorites Liverpool in the last round, and that victory has prompted online gambling sites to instill them as the new frontrunners. The latest odds from the Bovada gambling site make Luis Enrique’s side the +300 joint favorites alongside Barcelona, with Aston Villa priced all the way out at +3000, the second-longest odds of anybody.
But while the West Midlands side may have an unenviable task ahead of them, they certainly shouldn’t head into the upcoming clash with any fear. As the mighty underdogs, they have nothing to lose and all the pressure is on the French champions. Plus, plenty of sides have upset the apple cart over the years, and here are two teams that Villa should look to for inspiration.
Borussia Dortmund
Absolutely nobody expected Borussia Dortmund to reach the UEFA Champions League final last season. The German giants were struggling domestically and ended up finishing down in fifth place in the Bundesliga, some 27 points behind eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen. But on the continental stage, they shone, against all odds.
Die Schwarzgelben were underdogs in all three of their knockout stage games heading into the Wembley showpiece last term. They managed to overcome Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 following a 2-0 victory in the second leg on home turf. Then, they upset Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals thanks to two goals in three second-half minutes from Nicolas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer.
Then, just like Aston Villa are about to, they came up against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals. Just as they are this year, the Parisians were huge favorites, but it was Dortmund that progressed. They managed to win both legs by a solitary goal to nil, with their defensively resolute display in the second leg in the French capital one that the Villains should look toward as a source of hope. If the English side can soak up pressure like BVB did last term, they will be in a great position to spring the upset.
Villareal
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been here before. Back in 2022, he was in charge of Villareal. He led the Spanish club to their first major trophy the year prior when he helped them lift the Europa League, defeating both Arsenal and Manchester United along the way. But it was his exploits in the Champions League that were arguably more impressive.
In the round of 16, the Yellow Submarine faced off against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus and were huge underdogs. A 1-1 draw in Spain in the first leg did little to help their chances of progressing, but a masterclass in the return fixture in Turin shocked the continent. Late goals from Gerard Moreno, current Villa man Pau Torres, and Arnaut Danjuma secured a stunning 3-0 victory and a spot in the quarterfinals. And they weren’t finished there.
In the quarterfinals, Villareal met another heavyweight in the form of Bayern Munich. This time around, they managed to secure a 1-0 victory in the home leg, providing them with something to defend in the return fixture in the Allianz Arena. Robert Lewandowski tied things up on aggregate in the 52nd minute, but yet another late goal – this time an 88th-minute strike from Samu Chukwueze – was enough to send the Spaniards to the semifinals.
So then, Emery has pedigree. He has been here before and he has succeeded before. Can he do it again and lead Aston Villa to the promised land against all odds? Time will tell.