Flick hails 'fantastic' Villa ahead of Nou Camp showdown

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has been full of praise for Aston Villa ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to the Nou Camp.

According to AVFC.co.uk, Flick admitted "we are playing against a fantastic team" as he previewed the clash with Unai Emery's side (AVFC.co.uk). Birmingham World echoes this, reporting that Flick says Barcelona "won't take 'fantastic' Aston Villa lightly" when the two sides meet on Tuesday night (Birmingham World).

Birmingham Live goes further, suggesting Flick paid Emery the ultimate compliment while also singling out a Villa player as "unbelievable" (Birmingham Live). That report adds that Anthony Gordon joined in with his own words of admiration for Villa ahead of the game, with both manager and player talking up the challenge Villa will pose in Catalonia (Birmingham Live).

All three outlets are in agreement on the broad picture: Flick is wary of Villa and has gone out of his way to praise Emery's team before kick-off. There's no sign of complacency from the Barcelona camp, at least not in public, which will be pleasing to hear for Villa supporters hoping their side can spring a surprise.

It's a huge night for Villa, who make the trip to one of European football's grandest stages looking to make their mark in the Champions League. Praise from the opposition counts for little once the game kicks off, but it's a nice marker of how far Emery has taken this Villa side that a manager of Flick's standing is talking them up before a ball has even been kicked.

Villa fans will now turn their attention to Tuesday night in Barcelona, hoping Emery's side can back up the compliments with a result on the pitch.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.