Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is thrilled to have steered his side past Club Brugge and into a Champions League quarterfinal, but now wants even more as they face a daunting clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
“For our club, it is very important to be in the Champions League quarterfinal, to play against Paris Saint-Germain is something we have to be proud of,” said Emery after Wednesday’s defeat of Club Brugge in the last 16.
“We are in this level, we have to be proud, but we want more. We want to compete against the best teams in the world. Now our priority is to try to be close to the level we are facing.”
Emery, who has won the Europa League four times, said PSG would be formidable opponents after they defeated Liverpool to set up the quarterfinal clash.
“Of course to play a quarterfinal is fantastic, we are very excited, very motivated,” he said.
“To play against PSG is very difficult. They showed their capacity playing against Liverpool, the best team in the Premier League, the best team in Europe until yesterday.”
Back in Europe’s elite competition for the first time in more than four decades, Villa captain John McGinn said he is determined to continue the club’s dream run.
“Paris Saint-Germain are frightening over two legs, so it’s going to be really tough,” he told TNT.
“But Aston Villa are Champions League quarterfinalists, we can’t ask for much more at the minute, and we’ll strive for more, you never know.”
“It’s mad … We’re giving these fans experiences they’ll remember forever. We want to write our names in history and make these nights more frequent.”
Emery. who was PSG coach from 2016-18, was disappointed with his side’s first-half performance against Brugge in the second leg of their knockout, when they failed to score after the visitors had a man sent off. But it all came good with three goals after the break for a 6-1 aggregate victory.
“I’m very happy how we competed over the two matches,” he said.
He singled out Marco Asensio for praise after his second-half double when he came on as a substitute.
“We are happy with him. We are protecting him because he is not 100 percent … Today, he was feeling good. He wanted to start the match, but I decided to protect him. He played in the moment we needed him and he took the responsibility to do his task and score goals.”
The 29-year-old Asensio, who first made his name in a nearly decade-long stint at Real Madrid, has scored seven goals in his last five games for Villa — where he has slotted in seamlessly following his a deadline-day move in Europe’s winter transfer window.
Three of them have come against Brugge, having also converted a penalty in Villa’s 3-1 win in the first leg in Belgium last week.
“We are still adapting, all the new players,” said Asensio, referring to fellow recent arrivals Marcus Rashford and Axel Disasi, “but I think that we are in the right way, and keep pushing.
“I am very comfortable, very happy with the teammates, with the fans, with the city, so keep continuing.”
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
