- Villa have won their two games so far on their return after 41 years away
- On Tuesday they will host Serie A club Bologna at Villa Park in the third round of matches.
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Unai Emery has challenged Aston Villa to become genuine Champions League contenders and to continue “breaking barriers” as they battle European football’s elite.
Villa are two wins from two as they return to Europe’s top club competition for the first time in 41 years, and will be favorites against Serie A club Bologna at Villa Park on Tuesday.
Emery is approaching his second anniversary as Villa boss, having replaced Steven Gerrard on October 24, 2022. When he took over, they were at risk of relegation but have since established themselves as one of the best teams in England .
“I don’t know how far we are going to go, but at the moment we are here, in a good position in the Premier League and the Champions League,” Emery said.
‘I don’t want to waste my time here and that’s the message to everyone. We have demonstrated our ability to adapt quickly to European competition, both this season and last year in the Europa Conference League.
Unai Emery has urged Aston Villa to try to win the Champions League on their return to the competition
Villa are in good form and will host Serie A side Bologna at Villa Park in a bid to maintain their perfect start.
They beat Bayern Munich last time and could make it three wins out of three on Tuesday.
“We want to maintain the level we have now, do well in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League, and add something more like being a trophy contender.
‘Is the sky the limit? This is the message. We love football, we love our job and we want to be successful. One of our goals is to play in the Champions League.
‘I want to continue playing in this competition for a long time and it is difficult. Sometimes we may have some problems, but we need a strong mentality to break barriers.’
Villa began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Young Boys in Switzerland, but the 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at Villa Park was one of the club’s biggest results in many years.
Emery said he wants his team to know that “the sky is the limit” as they try to maintain their form in Europe’s elite competition.
It was beyond doubt that Villa are a force to be reckoned with at the top level and that result means they will be viewed with renewed respect across the continent.
Defender Matty Cash said: “In the four years since I joined, the club has gone through the roof. The quality has increased across the board and the club has no ceiling. It can go all the way to the top.