Leon Bailey has Aston Villa point to prove
Leon Bailey wants Villa to prove they belong in the Champions League by beating Bayern Munich tomorrow.
The winger has called on his team-mates to show their “power and quality” against the six-time winners, in one of the biggest matches at Villa Park in years.
Villa are back in Europe’s elite club competition after an absence of more than four decades and Bailey said: “This is what we have been working for, to be playing in the Champions League and against these big teams.
“To show our power, our quality and what Villa Park is made of with the atmosphere.
“You want to compete. We have been competing and we are a team who always wants to do that.
“It doesn’t matter if it is a cup game or the Champions League. That is what we are going to try and do.”
Villa, facing Bayern for the first time since beating the German giants in the 1982 European Cup final, will be backed by a sell-out home crowd.
“The fans need to play a big part on Wednesday,” continued Bailey. “It is the first time Champions League football has been back at Villa Park for more than 40 years and it is going to be great.
“Everyone is going to be excited about it and the message to the fans is just give us the best support you can and we will do the best we can to get the win.”
Unai Emery’s men are aiming to build on an impressive start to the competition after winning 3-0 away at Young Boys in their opening group stage fixture last month.
Tomorrow’s clash with Bayern is followed by home ties against Bologna, Juventus and Celtic, while there are away trips to Club Brugge, RB Leipzig and Monaco.
Villa reached the semi-finals of last season’s Conference League after returning to European football for the first time in more than a decade.
Bailey said: “We know they have been brilliant in the Champions League for years and we are trying to be that team again, which plays in Europe regularly.
“These are the teams you want to face and Villa Park is going to be exciting to see.
“For the fans it is going to be big but for us too as players who have not really played in Europe that much.
“We are going to enjoy the atmosphere and focus on playing our best together, as a team and try to get the job done.”
Bayern, managed by former Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, will train in Munich this afternoon before flying to Birmingham.
Kompany will give an update on Harry Kane’s fitness at a press conference this evening. The England captain has been undergoing treatment since limping off with an ankle injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.