Unai Emery will be eyeing up multiple triumphs when Aston Villa host Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
When the fixture list for the Champions League was drawn up, Aston Villa fans were arguably looking forward to their clash with Bayern Munich the most.
In what is a repeat of the European Cup final in 1982, where Villa prevailed as winners, this evening Unai Emery’s men will be looking to inflict defeat on the German giants.
The six-time winners have started this campaign in exceptional form, led by the irrepressible Harry Kane, who has scored 10 goals in seven appearances.
Kane was an injury doubt heading into this clash against Aston Villa but England’s record goal scorer appears ready for his battle with Ezri Konsa.
A mouth-watering showdown awaits at Villa Park, and it’s made even tastier when looking at Emery’s record against Bayern Munich.
Unai Emery was the last manager to beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage
On Wednesday night, Emery is aiming to join Jose Mourinho in securing a third win over Bayern in Europe’s elite competition, following his triumphs at PSG and Villarreal.
The Aston Villa boss famously masterminded a 2-1 aggregate win over Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals while at Villarreal in 2022.
Remarkably, though, his 3-0 victory over the Bundesliga giants while at PSG in September 2017 was the last time that Bavarians were beaten in the group stage.
Their latest victory in the competition – a 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb on the matchday one – saw them extend their winning run to an incredible 41 matches in the group stage.
Bayern are usually relentless in the groups but that was in the old format where they played lower-ranked opponents. Now, their unbeaten run will come under serious threat, starting with a trip to Villa Park.
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How Aston Villa can beat Bayern Munich
Villa supporters will flock to the stadium on Wednesday even with the hope and expectation of their side recording a victory, and there is a great chance they can.
Emery’s prior experience of beating Bayern, along with their fearlessness in attack, can perhaps create the recipe for success.
Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins – who both scored in the draw against Ipswich – are in red hot form, while Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey can dazzle down the wings.
The only stumbling block that could impact their chances of winning is a leaky defence. Failure to keep a clean sheet in any of their league games won’t fill many with confidence.
However, Emery is a firm believer in attack being the best form of defence, and the Spaniard will look to take the game to his world-class opponents in pursuit of a memorable victory.
