Emery's 55th birthday, Villa's test: Aston Villa face Barcelona at the Camp Nou

Aston Villa play Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening, and the game falls on the 55th birthday of their manager, Unai Emery. Kick-off is 8pm UK time.

It is Villa's first visit to the Camp Nou since 1983, according to the club's own preview. Barcelona were the Spanish champions going into the match. The two sides are meeting in the league phase of the Champions League, the first stage of Europe's biggest club competition, where every team plays a set of matches against different opponents before the knockout rounds begin.

Villa come in with nine points from their league-phase games so far. Barcelona have six. Points are awarded for wins and draws, so the table is still young and a single result can shift it a long way.

Emery's time at Villa has been short but busy. He was appointed in November 2022 as the successor to Steven Gerrard. At his unveiling, he said his dream was to win a trophy with the club and to get Villa into Europe. The BBC reports that Villa have since challenged in the Premier League and in Europe for two seasons.

That European push paid off in May. Villa won the Europa League, the second-tier European competition, ending a 30-year wait for a major trophy. It was Emery's fifth Europa League title, a total no other manager has matched. He signed a contract in May 2024 that runs to 2029.

Emery has framed this trip as a chance to learn. He said Villa are always looking for new challenges, and that they wanted to take on Barcelona to see how far they are from the very top. Villa's own view is that they are ready to join the elite. The club last won the European Cup in 1982, and that is the level they are aiming to return to.

Barcelona have shown their attacking power this season. In March they beat Newcastle United 7-2 at the Camp Nou to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Villa have had to rebuild around the edges too. Ollie Watkins has left for Saudi Arabia, and the club have signed Johan Manzambi from Freiburg.

The build-up has also had a sharp edge. Jamie Carragher said Emery would want to manage an elite club one day. Villa responded by threatening legal action over the remark, and the row has added some heat to a game that was already big.

For Villa fans, the night is about more than the points. It is a chance to stand in one of football's most famous stadiums and measure the club against a side that has won the biggest prizes in the game. Whatever the score, the result will say something about where Villa stand, and Emery has made clear that he wants to find out.