Barcelona v Aston Villa: Champions League – live

Aston Villa are three from three in the Champions League. Unai Emery’s side could top the league phase table outright after this evening’s meeting with Barcelona. But that is only part of the story.

Emery returns to the Camp Nou – scene of one of his most traumatic nights as a manager – when in 2017 Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, winning 6-1 on the night, 6-5 on aggregate.

So there would be subtext aplenty without the recent furore surrounding the pundit Jamie Carragher, Villa’s threatened legal action, Carragher’s apology, Villa dropping their legal threat … not to mention the fact that Emery has been linked with the Old Trafford managerial poisoned chalice hotseat amid Michael Carrick’s ongoing struggles.