Bayern Munich – Villarreal: No fear of the stage – Unai Emery is pushing towards the big stage

Unai Emery has won one or two titles in his career. For example four times in the European League, three times with FC Sevilla (2014, 2015, 2016) and once with Villarreal (2021).

As a coach at Paris Saint-Germain (2016-2018), he also won seven national titles in two years. Emery was a champion for France in 2018, winning the French Cup, the French League Cup and the French Super Cup in both years of his tenure.

In the Champions League, the heyday of European football, he has not yet been able to leave his footsteps in the long run. With Arsenal (2018-2019), he did not even qualify for the competition of the most famous clubs on the continent, with Paris Saint-Germain he went to the round of 16 twice without saying a word, then had to look for a new job.

Critics have sometimes accused Emery of not being a man of the big stage. Bright headlights make him uncomfortable, so the tenor. But this year, the 50-year-old is proving that he has given up on “theater horror,” if there ever was such a thing.

Unai Emery?: “Tactical Masterminds”

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed after bankruptcy in the first leg, Thomas Muller agreed: “Villarreal can gamble, they have a lot of good footballers. And they have the ability to combine themselves. This is not a stressful team.” The coach: “Villarreal found a good combination. You have to show respect to the opponent.”

The compliments are aimed primarily at Emery. In the past two years, the Spaniard has built a very balanced and well-trained squad without any superstars.

Unai Emery: Someone like Jose Mourinho

Nine of the eleven players against Bayern Munich were also there in last summer’s Europa League victory against Manchester United.

Contrary to what happens in Paris or London, Emery does not have to take into account expensive individual individuals, but rather pass on the idea of ​​his game to a group that follows him. Big advantage.

David Orenis, La Liga expert at Eurosport Spain in Madrid The coach compares him to one of the greats: “His teams fight for him. He attaches great importance to defence, tactics and strategy. You can compare him to Jose Mourinho.”

Villarreal: A little late in the league

Villarreal city of 50,000 people and analyst obsessed with detail and meticulous thinking Emery – that’s fitting. “Villarreal is something special,” the Spaniard told UEFA recently, describing the “yellow submarine” as “a permanent project with a certain financial leverage that provides stability and longevity.”

The consistency is very good. With the exception of the 2018/19 season (14th place), Villarreal have held only one-digit places in the table since being promoted again in 2013 and are no worse than seventh.

Villarreal is currently back in the same place in the table – albeit far from the international centres. The difference against Real Sociedad VI is already eight points.

Not particularly good prospects for qualifying again for European competition next season.

Emery does not believe in the role of the favorite

Villarreal’s chances of reaching the Champions League semi-finals are noticeably better – even if Emery was deliberately low in the press conference before Tuesday’s duel.

And the Spanish player said in the press conference that Bayern are the favorites, despite the first leg, the match will be “very difficult”.

It will be a “totally different match,” said Emery, who called on his team to “calm down”. The Spanish Europa League winner failed to make a more comfortable lead in the first leg.

“The respect is great, but we accept the challenge,” said Emery, whose team wants to be more efficient in Munich.

If Emery can knock the next European heavyweight out of the competition after Juventus Turin, the lights should be brighter and softer. In any case, there is no longer talk of “stage phobia” or “small theatre”.