Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was beaming with pride after his side played out a goalless draw with Juventus in the UEFA Champions League. The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating chances but ultimately failing to find the back of the net.
Despite the late disappointment of having a Morgan Rogers goal ruled out for a foul on the visiting goalkeeper, Emery was thrilled with his team’s performance. “It was fantastic,” he said. “We needed one match like this, playing seriously with a clean sheet, defending strong, being compact and then trying to impose and dominate some areas of the match.”
Emery was particularly pleased with his side’s defensive solidity, which has been a hallmark of their Champions League campaign so far. “We didn’t create a lot of chances but we didn’t concede a lot of chances,” he said. “We were closer to scoring and in the second half we were progressively getting better.”
The Villa manager also praised the performance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made a stunning save to deny Juventus’ Francisco Conceicao in the second half. “We needed one save from Emiliano, a fantastic save,” Emery said. “He’s a top-class goalkeeper and he’s made a big difference for us this season.”
The draw moves Villa onto ten points in the league phase, placing them ninth in the table. Emery’s side are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16, and the manager is confident that they can achieve their goal. “We are being very serious and competing very well,” he said. “We only conceded one goal in five matches. We have three wins and ten points. We have three matches to play and to enjoy.”
Emery also hailed the atmosphere at Villa Park, which was electric throughout the match. “We have to carry on enjoying this competition,” he said. “The fans were fantastic tonight, and we have to thank them for their support.”
With three matches remaining in the league phase, Emery’s side will be looking to build on their impressive performance against Juventus. They face a tough test against Liverpool in their next match, but Emery is confident that his side can get a result. “We have possibilities and opportunities coming if we are winning to be a contender for the top eight positions,” he said. “The first objective is to get to the next round.”
