RB Leipzig boss singles out ‘quality’ Aston Villa star ahead of Champions League clash

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Unai Emery would have bit your finger off if the Aston Villa boss had been offered this predicament ahead of the sixth round of Champions League first-phase fixtures.

As Emiliano Martinez helped secure a point at Juventus – albeit one point that could have become three had a stoppage time winner not been ruled out by a harsh VAR call – Aston Villa remain extremely well-placed to secure a knockout stage in the New Year.

Aston Villa are currently level with Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. Outside the top eight only on ‘goals scored’.

Compare that to where RB Leipzig are sitting in the table, and no wonder Red Bull boss Marco Rose is feeling the pressure ahead of Tuesday night’s 8pm kick-off in Germany.

Five games, five defeats for the Bundesliga outfit. Domestically, things aren’t going much better either. Despite a confidence boosting win at Holstein Keil over the weekend, Leipzig recently lost to both Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim while conceding nine goals in the process.

And Rose knows that, if his porous Leipzig backline gives Ollie Watkins a sniff of the net, their dismal defensive record could yet plumb new depths.

RB Leipzig boss wary of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins

“[Aston Villa are] a very, very good team,” Rose says during his pre-match press conference. “Well organised in both directions. It is really impressive to see how clear the structure is from which they play and work.

“We are prepared to face a team with pace, with a lot of force, with simply a quality English international striker up front, [and] a lot of tempo on both wings. So, we know what is coming, and that we must defend.

“But, above all, we need the ball because we need goals.”

While Aston Villa’s domestic form has also taken a dip of late – even if successive wins over Brentford and Southampton has lifted the mood – Emery’s team have often saved their best performances for the European stage.

Aston Villa stunned Bayern Munich thanks to Jhon Duran’s heroics on matchday one. Villa also swept past BSC Young Boys. And while the Villains may have slipped up at Bologna, a point against Juventus represented another big step towards the next round.

Furthermore, with only one goal conceded, Inter Milan are the only team with a better defensive record at this stage.

And while Leipzig do have a few centre-forward options capable of striking fear into any backline – Benjamin Sesko remains on Arsenal’s radar while Lois Openda is bordering on the elite himself – Rose accepts that Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and co make for rather daunting opposition.

“Aston Villa have a very good defence, they have only conceded once in the Champions League this season,” former Borussia Dortmund and Monchengladbach boss Rose adds.

“But we have the necessary quality up front to score the goals. We are playing at home, and the fans and the team are in good spirits.”

Unai Emery wants consistency as Champions League qualification edges closer

Emery confirmed at his own press conference that Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey will be unavailable. The latter picked up a knock during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Southampton.

“Our expectation at the beginning [of the Champions League campaign] was to try to enjoy, try to use the experiences we had last year in Europe with another level. We are doing [it in] a fantastic way,” Emey says.

“Even when we lost away against Brugge, it was very good to learn how difficult it is; The challenge we faced last year and this year. [Leipzig] is a new test.

“To be consistent as a team is our challenge. To be consistent in this competition. To be consistent sharing with Premier League, trying to play every match focusing on the wishes we need to get our performances. This is how we can face our expectations in this competition and how we can increase our level and meet the demands we will face next week, next month, next year.

“This is the objective I have with the players, the team and with the club.”