Aston Villa will host Red Bull Salzburg in the eighth round of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League. Emery stated in a press conference that his team will aim for first place and will maintain the same playing philosophy.

In the previous round, Aston Villa defeated Fenerbahce 1-0 after Matti Cash assisted Jadon Sancho's goal. After 6 wins and 1 loss in 7 rounds, Aston Villa are ranked 2nd in the standings, tied with Lyon in first place, and both have advanced to the round of 16.

In addition, in an earlier Premier League match, Aston Villa defeated Newcastle 2-0 after goals from Buendia and Watkins.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said, "We are focused on and working hard on every detail, whether it's a small one or an important one, all for the sake of a good result. Now that we have qualified, one of our goals is to strive for a higher ranking. But it's not just about that advantage, because we also want to win this game."

“We must build the team with extremely high standards and maintain strict standards in everything we do. Our goal is very clear: to win games and move forward from the top 8. Striving for first place is our next goal, and all the players share the same idea.”

Emery said, "I'm really looking forward to seeing how the team performs with the current squad and how they respond. We qualified as top eight last week, but we'll continue our consistent approach and keep competing tomorrow. I'm excited about the Europa League and happy with the players' reaction against Newcastle; they were truly outstanding."

“We are in good form right now and are maintaining overall consistency. Even after the loss to Everton, we still believe in ourselves, as does the club, which continues to support us in every way.”

Speaking about their upcoming match against Red Bull Salzburg, Emery continued, "We have great respect for Red Bull Salzburg because they are a very promising team with a lot of young players. Based on my experience, I played against them in the Europa League four or five years ago, and it was a very difficult match. We eventually won, but it was a very tough game."

“Based on our analysis, they are very aggressive and intense. They excel at winning back possession through high pressing and creating a lot of physical challenges. They also maintain possession and try to dominate the game. Therefore, we will play with focus and respect for our opponents, while also recognizing that beating them will not be easy.”

Furthermore, Emery added, "They must beat us to have a chance to advance, and they will definitely give it their all. But we must fight for ourselves and for the fans at Villa Park. When formulating the match plan, we will also make sure the players fully understand that it will be a tough game."

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