Villa arrive in Catalonia as the team with the better record. Emery’s side are second in the league phase with nine points from three wins, three points behind PSG and three above Barcelona, who are down in eighth after losing 4-2 away to the French champions on matchday three.

Pau Torres, speaking to Sports Mole, said Villa carried “no fear at all” into the fixture but plenty of respect, and that nothing would be impossible if the visitors competed with their own weapons.

The Spain defender knows the room this Barcelona side gives up. He spent six seasons at Villarreal before his move to Villa in 2023 and faced Flick’s predecessors regularly in La Liga.

The space Torres wants to attack

Torres told Sports Mole that Flick’s attack this season leans on vertical runners such as Ibrahim Mbaye, Alysson and Nicolás Jackson, forwards who thrive when the opponent leaves space behind the defence. Barcelona’s pressing style forces their own defensive line high up the pitch, and the gap it opens behind them is the one Villa plan to attack.

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He added that Villa would need to stay alert at the back if they wanted a positive result, and said facing Lamine Yamal was the kind of test players want.

Barcelona’s makeshift back line

Barcelona come into the match with a defensive problem that goes beyond tactics. Jules Koundé, Eric García and Andreas Christensen are all out, which has pushed Flick to play Frenkie de Jong at left centre-back and hand the teenage midfielder Brian Farinas his first-team debut at right-back in the 6-1 win over Alavés at the weekend.

That makeshift back line now meets a Villa attack with 12 goals in three Champions League matches.

Barcelona have also not kept a clean sheet in their last 18 Champions League matches, the longest active run of any side in this edition.

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Villa’s European run so far

Villa have won all three of their league-phase games: 3-2 at Club Brugge, 6-0 at home to Fenerbahçe and 3-1 away at Viking. Their Premier League form has been more uneven, but a 2-1 win over Manchester City and a five-match unbeaten run have steadied things before the Camp Nou trip.

Kick-off at Spotify Camp Nou is at 9pm local time on Tuesday.

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