Aston Villa coach Unai Emery said his club’s first home game in Europe’s top flight in 41 years will be a “special” event as Bayern Munich visit Villa Park on Wednesday.

Villa were one of the Premier League’s surprise packages under Emery in the 2023-24 season, qualifying in fourth place for the Champions League for the first time since their quarter-final defeat to Juventus in the 1984 competition, then known as the European Cup.

“We are very happy to play against Bayern here at home and hope that tomorrow we can have fun and compete and give our best,” Emery said at his press conference on Tuesday.

“It’s a very special game for everyone.”

Villa played against Bayern in the 1982 European Cup final and emerged 1-0 winners, securing club football’s top prize on the continent for the first and only time in their history.

“If it is a new competition, we are motivated and excited to play with our fans at Villa Park tomorrow. We also remember the final Villa played against them 42 years ago,” said Emery.

“Now, at this moment in our process, we have to try to play one more game. Of course it’s against one of the best teams in the world and together with three or four others against the favorites to win this competition.”

Emery has gained considerable experience in European football during spells at Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal – 188 games across UEFA’s various competition divisions.

In stark contrast, Vincent Kompany will take charge of his second continental game on the Bayern bench after his surprise move from Burnley to Munich in the summer.

“His career as a player is highly respected,” Emery said of his opponent. “He started two or three years ago and worked with Pep (Guardiola) at Man City and achieved success so quickly.”

“With his experience and working with Guardiola, everything I see as a coach says that he will have a very good future.”

Villa comfortably defeated Young Boys in their first Champions League game of the season, while Bayern defeated Dinamo Zagreb 9-2.