Hansi Flick says Barcelona won't take 'fantastic' Aston Villa lightly

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick promised there is no chance of his team under-estimating “fantastic” Villa in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Both Flick and winger Anthony Gordon lauded Unai Emery as one of the best coaches in Europe and world football when they spoke to the press at the Catalan club’s training ground on Monday afternoon.

Barca are under scrutiny after recent defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in their most high-profile matches of the season to date, to the extent Flick was asked directly whether his side are capable of beating the “big teams”.

Another significant La Liga clash awaits at the weekend when they visit Atletico Madrid but Flick says the full focus is on Villa.

“We will only focus on the game against Aston Villa. We are playing against a fantastic team, and it is a big moment for them,” he said.

“Unai Emery is one of the best coaches in Europe. He has a clear idea of how to play in offence and defence, and I appreciate a lot of what I see.

“It is the Champions League, and every game is special. Every opponent in the Champions League has quality as well. It will be a tough game.

“We know that anything can happen at this level. We want to reach the first eight in the league phase table. This is our goal and this is an important match.

“Aston Villa and Atletico are two big games. We have a lot of quality to achieve our goals, to win the La Liga and the Champions League.

“We can write history and we are working very hard every day. Nothing changes about that after losing to Real Madrid and PSG.

“It is normal that there is more focus on this in the media. If I was on your side I would do the same, talk about the weaknesses you might have.”

Gordon also talked up the visitors during a briefing in which he rated his first few months in Spain since his £69million move from Newcastle as “seven out of 10”.

Asked about Villa he replied: "They are a very good team. They have one of the best coaches in the world right now and have great players.

“They are on a great run as of late, so it will be a difficult game. They are one of the teams who are always in a game and are always ready for any type of game. It will be a very tough challenge.

“English teams are very physical, and I have played against Villa before. They are one of the most physical teams in the league and have great players.

“I try to remain the same and remain consistent with motivation, so the fact they are English doesn't make it any bigger for me.”