Tribal Football

Villa captain McGinn says his side have "players who can cause damage to Barcelona"

Villa captain McGinn says his side have "players who can cause damage to Barcelona"
Villa captain McGinn says his side have "players who can cause damage to Barcelona"REUTERS

Aston Villa captain John McGinn has spoken on the prospect of facing Barcelona in Tuesday's Champions League showdown.

Barcelona host Aston Villa at Camp Nou in what should be a thrilling clash between the two sides who have made very strong starts to their European campaign.

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Villa arrive with a perfect Champions League record after beating Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Viking whilst Barcelona slipped up against champions Paris Saint-Germain last time out.

The Spanish side sit eighth in the European standings after losing two of their last three matches across all competitions, including the El Clasico to Real Madrid.

PSG are the only team to out-perform Aston Villa in the league phase, as Emery's men sit in second position after three rounds, full of confidence heading into the Barcelona tie where McGinn believes his side can cause problems.

"I’m 32 years old, but the trajectory of this club is allowing me to dream the same way I dreamed when I was nine, ten or eleven to play in front of the biggest crowds," McGinn stated.

"This is a very historic stadium, but what the club is trying to do now is make this normal... and make Aston Villa compete with the best in England and the best in Europe. Us, as professionals, we’ll only enjoy the experience if we have three points."

On Barcelona: "They have world-class players... Not only do they possess amazing ability, the thing that impresses me most about them is their humility to work for the team."

"Our success over the past four years is built on the fact no one player is bigger than the others... We have our own players who can cause damage to Barcelona as well."

Villa have also prevailed in just one of their four historical meetings with Barcelona, although not since the 1983 UEFA Super Cup final. A win on Tuesday night would be one of the best results in European history as manager Unai Emery seeks to pull off a masterclass.

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