Excitement and nerves are building as Aston Villa prepare to take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League at Villa Park.
Years ago, moments like these would have felt so far away, especially when Aston Villa struggled to get out of the Championship under Steve Bruce.
Then, even once when they returned to the Premier League in 2019, Villa spent most of their first few years battling relegation and it wasn’t until Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in October 2022 that the revolution began.
From battling relegation to playing in the Champions League in the space of two years, Emery has done arguably the most remarkable job in world football with the best still yet to come.
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Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich in the Champions League
Villa are currently preparing for their mouth-watering showdown with Bayern Munich into the Champions League and it’s something most supporters will find surreal.
For some, it’s been 40 years since they last watched Villa compete in Europe’s elite competition, while many haven’t seen it in their lifetime or are too young to remember.
It promises to be a very difficult encounter against the German giants, with Harry Kane expected to start after his initial injury scare.
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has also described what makes Aston Villa ‘so dangerous’ ahead of the tie, and he mainly alludes to their threat in transition.
Most importantly, though, Villa have a manager in Emery who has been there and done it, with one famous victory over the Bavarians sticking out.
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When Unai Emery helped Villarreal beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals
During his time at Villarreal, Emery cemented his name in Champions League folklore after masterminding a 2-1 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich in 2022.
The Spanish side were given no chance as they entered the quarter-final clash but Emery tactically outsmarted Julien Nagelsmann in the first leg.
A 1-0 win at the Estadi de la Ceràmica, thanks to Arnaut Danjuma’s eighth-minute goal, handed Villarreal a slender advantage heading into their trip to the Allianz Arena.
This is where most expected Bayern to turn the game on its head but even Robert Lewandowski’s second-half goal couldn’t kick start a turnaround.
Villarreal remained resilient and were patient until the perfect opportunity arose, with Samuel Chukwueze breaking in the 88th minute to give his side the lead on aggregate – and earn them a historic victory against the six-time European champions.
Emery’s men would bow out of the competition in the semi-finals against Liverpool, losing 5-2 on aggregate, but the Aston Villa boss will always be remembered for the famous quarter-final victory, and a moment he hopes will inspire further success over Bayern.
