FC Basel manager Ludovic Magnin has admitted he expects to see his side suffer against Aston Villa this evening. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be backing down.
Blick cover comments from the Basel manager today as he heaps praise on Aston Villa. The two sides face each other in the Europa League this evening.
Aston Villa head to Switzerland for their latest game in the competition sitting third in the Europa League table, but joint top on 12 points. Goal difference has Lyon and Midtjylland ahead of them.
They’ve won four of their last five in the competition and are among the favourites for it. That’s largely due to Unai Emery, who is the most successful manager in the competition’s history.
Basel have fared much worse to date, with three points from five games so far. That’s left them 24th in the table. A win, though, could push them into the top 15 and away from the relegation they’re currently toying with.
To do that, they’ll have to overcome an Aston Villa side in fierce form. They also head into the game after a huge win over Arsenal last weekend. They’re very much the favourites, something Magnin is more than aware of.
“It’s easier to go into a game when you already know you’re going to suffer,” he said.
“That’s mentally completely different than when you want to dominate a game, but then things suddenly don’t go your way, and you have to react.
“We know we’re playing against a top European team that beat Arsenal just a few days. Therefore, I want to see a courageous team that doesn’t overthink things. We won’t hide. As FC Basel, we also have expectations of ourselves.”
