Aston Villa travel to Barcelona seeking fourth straight Champions League win

Summarised from 5 outlets · 6 reports · Updated 3 Nov, 17:16 · Archive

Aston Villa, unbeaten in three league-phase matches, face Barcelona on Matchday 4 of the Champions League.

Aston Villa travel to Barcelona's Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday for Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase, looking to maintain an unbeaten run in Europe's elite competition.

Villa have won all three of their matches so far, scoring 12 goals and sitting second in the league phase table, three points behind the leaders. The Birmingham club's progress in the competition marks a significant step for a team that finished outside the European places for over a decade before Unai Emery's appointment in October 2022 began a turnaround. They reached the quarterfinals in the previous Champions League campaign, narrowly losing to eventual winners PSG.

Barcelona, by contrast, have stumbled in the league phase despite their domestic dominance. The Catalans sit eighth after a 4-2 defeat to PSG in their most recent European fixture. However, Hansi Flick's side recovered from successive defeats in the Champions League and La Liga by thrashing Alavés 6-1 at the weekend, maintaining their two-point lead at the top of the Spanish league. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal scored twice each in that victory. Fermin López, who has 12 goals and assists this season, is expected to start.

Villa have beaten Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe and Viking in their opening matches. Nicolas Jackson, in form after scoring in a weekend draw with Fulham, will lead the attack against Barcelona's defensive line, which has been weakened by injuries. TechRadar reports that Andreas Christensen is back in training and may feature.

This will be the first meeting between the clubs in more than four decades. Emery, who has managed at the highest level of European football, has a reputation for thriving in such fixtures. Barcelona are among the favourites to win the competition, but Villa's unbeaten start has established them as genuine contenders in the league phase.

How it is being reported

• Barcelona v Aston Villa: Champions League – live⚽️ Champions League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off ⚽️ Live scores | League phase standings | And email Luke Aston Villa are three from three in the Champions League. Unai Emery’s side could top the league phase table outright after this evening’s meeting with Barcelona. But that is only part of the story. Emery returns to the Camp Nou – scene of one of his most traumatic nights as a manager – when in 2017 Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, winning 6-1 on the night , 6-5 on aggregate. Continue reading...The Guardian · 3 Nov, 18:30
• Barcelona vs Aston Villa team news LIVE!Sky Sports · 3 Nov, 18:30
• How to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa for FREE: Live streamsAll the ways to watch Barcelona vs Aston Villa, as Unai Emery takes the upstart Villans to Camp Nou on Matchday 4 of the Champions League 2026/27 league phase.TechRadar · 3 Nov, 17:00
• Barcelona vs Aston Villa LIVE: Champions LeagueFollow updates from the league stage clash, including the build-up, analysis, and live text commentary of the game.Al Jazeera · 3 Nov, 17:00
• PSG face Villarreal as they aim to keep top Champions league spotParis Saint-Germain are away to Villarreal on Matchday 4 of the Champions League. With three wins from three matches, PSG sit top of the table, whilst Villarreal are 19th.France 24 · 3 Nov, 07:18
• Barcelona vs Aston Villa: Champions League – Predictions, news, lineupsAston Villa, second in the UEFA Champions League table after three wins from three, head to Barcelona, three points backAl Jazeera · 2 Nov, 14:57

In this story: Aston Villa · Barcelona · Unai Emery · Hansi Flick · PSG · Spotify Camp Nou · Raphinha · Nicolas Jackson

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