Aston Villa arrive on nine points from three matches, with Barcelona on six. Flick praised Emery’s organisation but insisted his squad have the quality to challenge for LaLiga and the Champions League.
“Aston Villa are in a great moment and Emery is one of the best coaches in Europe,” Flick said. “He is very clear about how he wants to play. It will be a difficult match.”
The Barcelona coach rejected the suggestion that recent defeats had changed his confidence in the squad, pointing to their earlier winning sequence.
“We have won 11 matches in a row. You focus on the two defeats, but I trust my team,” he said. “We have enormous quality and can achieve our objectives: winning LaLiga and the Champions League.”
Flick acknowledged that injuries have complicated his defensive selection. Andreas Christensen has returned to training but is not yet ready for a full return, while Dani Olmo is among those he hopes to have available after the international break.
He praised Frenkie de Jong’s willingness to fill an unfamiliar role at centre-back. Gerard Martín can cover at centre-back or left-back, while Brian Fariñas is another option after making his first-team debut against Alavés.
Flick also addressed Alejandro Balde’s situation, saying he respected the young defender and was trying to help him regain confidence. However, he stressed that selection decisions had to be made in the interests of the team, with João Cancelo also performing well.
Raphinha’s form was another positive for the coach, who highlighted the captain’s work with and without the ball. Flick also praised the connection between Lamine Yamal and Fariñas.
Emery described Barcelona as one of the leading contenders to win the competition and said Villa would need to balance their own identity with adapting to the opposition.
“Barcelona are favourites to win this competition. We can name five teams, and Barcelona are one of them,” the Villa manager said. “They have to play at their best, and they are capable of beating any team.”
Emery said Villa were still building consistency in Europe and viewed the fixture as a measure of their progress.
“We have to find our personality and get the maximum out of the collective and individual qualities. Barcelona will demand a lot from us and we have to know how to adapt,” Emery said.
Emery singled out Yamal as a player with the potential to become the best in the world, but warned that Barcelona’s threat extends beyond the teenager. He also cited Rodri, Pedri, Fermín López and Raphinha, as well as the pace Gordon brings to the attack.
Villa will be without Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Barcelona continue to manage a longer injury list, with Flick hoping to recover several players after the international break.