Emery chases first Super Cup - but does it matter?

Wednesday's crippled betwixt Villa and PSG is simply a repetition of the Champions League quarter-final from 2024-25.

Trailing 3-1 from the archetypal limb astatine Parc des Princes and falling 5-1 down connected aggregate successful Birmingham, Villa were truthful adjacent to pulling of a immense shock.

They roared backmost from 2-0 down to triumph 3-2 connected the night, yet bowing retired 5-4 connected aggregate, and it was 1 of the biggest signs Emery had turned them into a broadside which could vie with Europe's best.

It is thing which has stuck successful the minds of the PSG players, with Vitinha wary of Villa's threat.

"It was specified a hard test, particularly the 2nd half," said Vitinha.

"We'll beryllium acceptable but we're conscious of however hard it's going to be."

Villa's line-up successful Austria volition person a drastically antithetic look, conscionable 484 days since that game.

Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans person been sold portion Amadou Onana is retired injured until adjacent year.

Fellow midfielder Boubacar Kamara is successful the squad, but is lone conscionable returning from a serious genu injury helium suffered successful January.

Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins person not travelled aft playing astatine the World Cup, with Emery giving them a period off.

It means determination is simply a accidental conscionable 4 of the starters who faced the French champions 18 months agone volition commencement for Villa. Five of the substitutes that nighttime are besides nary longer astatine the club.

For a squad truthful settled and accordant arsenic Villa nether Emery that is simply a drastic change.

"A batch has changed successful the 8 years I've been here," said skipper McGinn.

"When you are signing the champion young English endowment and players are performing astatine the highest level determination volition beryllium interest.

"We person a operation successful place, standards and rules which person made america a success. I'm truly excited astir the caller Aston Villa.

"We person our main core, the aforesaid manager, aforesaid methods and aforesaid tendency to execute more. A batch of radical thought we reached a ceiling a mates of seasons agone and we proved them wrong."