Aston Villa news: Emery’s side ‘have taken to Champions League like a duck to water’

Aston Villa have “looked like they belong” in the Champions League having “sailed through” to finish eighth in the league phase, says The Athletic’s chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith.

Unai Emery’s men face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydelstadion on Tuesday in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

“It’s hard not to be impressed,” said Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. “They have taken to it like a duck to water.

“They were helped a little bit with a relatively kind group stage lottery draw, but they sailed through effectively. They came eighth in the table and that meant they got automatic qualification, which as one of the lower seeded teams is an incredible achievement.

“They have looked like they belong and that is the most you can say for a team that hasn’t been in the competition for 40 years.”

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