Villa Reach for European Limelight

Gareth Barry aims to underline how Aston Villa FC are returning to the European élite when the English high-flyers host a PFC CSKA Moskva side preparing for life without Valeri Gazzaev.

Zico arrival
The most decorated coach in CSKA's history, Gazzaev parted company with the club in December, leaving "a great group of players that believe in themselves" to Brazil legend Zico. The 55-year-old and 2005 UEFA Cup winners CSKA are just the sort of opposition Villa captain Barry wants to test himself against having already risen to the occasion this season with a goal in the group-stage victory over four-time European champions AFC Ajax. "The atmosphere that night was tremendous – one of the greatest I have ever known at Villa Park," the England international recalled. "It really felt like European football had well and truly returned to Villa Park; a night to remember. Let's hope we can create another one on Wednesday."

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History
Villa have been there before; a banner, a permanent fixture in the North Stand, attests to that: 'Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be and it is! Peter Withe!' It is not the most inspired pieces of commentary but few Villa fans need reminding that it describes the winning goal from the 1982 European Champion Clubs' Cup final against FC Bayern München. They have not come close to emulating that achievement, though this campaign is one of their most memorable since as they lie third in the Premier League, even if Everton FC ended Martin O'Neill's team's 16-game unbeaten sequence in domestic competition with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Out of practice
That run did span two UEFA Cup defeats, however, as Villa eased off following back-to-back wins in their first two games, eventually ending their section third and earning a tie against CSKA, the only team to come through the group stage with a 100 per cent record. With the Russian Premier-Liga season having ended in November, the Army Men have not played a competitive match since. Zico has had to make do with friendlies, most recently beating Croatian side NK Osijek 2-1 on 8 February. That encounter included a substitute cameo from Daniel Carvalho, CSKA's talisman in 2005, who has returned from a loan spell in Brazil reinvigorated. "Aston Villa are playing very well in the English Premier League," said Zico, who will be without Anton Grigoriev and Deividas Šemberas through suspension – Steve Sidwell is banned for their opponents – while new signing Tomáš Necid, who played for SK Slavia Praha against Villa in September, is ineligible. "If we want to go to the next round we have to play like it's the final," Zico added.

( Oleg Sokol / UEFA )