GO DEEPER
Champions League matchday seven: Who can qualify for the knockout phase? Who could be eliminated?
Victory in Monaco tonight in their penultimate league-phase fixture may not mathematically confirm Villa’s automatic qualification for the round of 16 in March, but would be significant. For a team just arriving on the grander scene, finishing in the top eight — and, in turn, bypassing next month’s 16-team play-off stage — would represent extraordinary progress.
Jhon Duran and Lucas Digne celebrate after Villa beat Bayern (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
Villa are fifth in the standings with 13 points, which is more than several European giants — Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester City, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain.
Emery and his analysts have revelled in researching European opponents and detecting the often subtle stylistic distinctions from those in the Premier League. Some, such as Bologna and now Monaco, do offer divergence from the increasingly identikit football systems.
Monaco are fourth in France’s Ligue 1 and more than competent. While replicating the talent bank of years gone by — Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho, Joao Moutinho and Youri Tielemans, pertinently, were all part of the same title-winning squad in 2016-17 — is a thankless task, they have a good blend and balance.
Adi Hutter’s team can be separated into three categories: the players once perpetually linked with the Premier League and who became familiar through international tournaments (Breel Embolo and Aleksandr Golovin), those who did move to England but have since levelled out back on the continent (Mohammed Salisu, Takumi Minamino and Denis Zakaria) and, crucially, the youngsters who will allow Monaco to make an eventual profit on them.
Eliesse Ben Seghir and Maghnes Akliouche occupy the flanks, with six of the XI who started Monaco’s most recent match, against Montpellier on Friday, under the age of 23.
Three of that side’s front four were 21 or under, and with the third youngest squad in Ligue 1, they have registered the second-highest expected goals (xG) rate behind serial champions PSG. They are well-equipped and youthful, with a 21-year-old midfield pairing of Lamine Camara and Soungoutou Magassa who are indicative of the intensity Hutter sets.
Monaco’s out-of-possession traits are highly effective, making the most tackles, ball recoveries and second-most interceptions of any team in the French top flight. They are 16th in the Champions League, so also on track to reach the knockout rounds with their league-phase finale next week being away to Inter at San Siro.
All of this is to say they will not be easy. And, in truth, Emery would not want it any other way.
The Monaco-Monte Carlo train station will change colour this morning, with a swarm of claret and blue shirts travelling along the Mediterranean coast from Nice before strolling around the city in the afternoon. They will gather in Casino Square and sing Emery’s name.
Thanks to Emery and his players, Villa have the opportunity for this not to be those fans’ last Champions League trip this season.
(Top photo: Emery before the home date with Juventus in November. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2025-01-20 21:22:00
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