Every word Unai Emery said about permanent Marco Asensio transfer, PSG and Watkins' injury - Iqraa news

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery

-Credit:PA

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery spoke to the media after his side's 3-0 win over Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

Marco Asensio scored either side of Ian Maatsen's first for the club as Villa took full advantage of Brugge going down to 10 men in the first half. Here is every word Emery said in his post-match press conference...

Unai, how proud are you to head into the last eight?

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"Very happy how we competed in the two matches. We respected them and tried to press them and recover the ball. They avoided the press. They didn't get clear chances, but dominated.

"Their player got sent off, but even playing with one player more we didn’t dominate the game. We spoke in the dressing room about how we could change and in the structure, also remind them how we arrived here.

"The second half we did it. I don’t know if we could do that same work in 11 vs 11, but this second half was what we wanted against every team.

"We respect them and appreciate them a lot, how they perform and compete. We added Asensio and other fresh players, who helped us a lot."

You'll come up against PSG in the last eight...

"To play in the quarter-final is fantastic. We are excited and motivated. To play against PSG will be very difficult. They showed their capacity against Liverpool, the best team in Europe until yesterday.

"To play against PSG is special because I didn’t go back there since leaving. It will be fantastic."

Do you have a plan for PSG?

"No, not yet. We are focusing on Brugge and respected them. Now, we are going to rest and recover our energy. We are going to prepare to play against Preston and then Brighton, then take information about PSG.

"I know their potential, their huge potential. They are going to be very motivated for the Champions League because they have already beaten Liverpool. They competed in those two matches fantastic.

"We will analyse and identify our power against them and weaknesses. We will prepare two matches. For our club, it is very important to be in the Champions League and quarter-final."

Are PSG the best team in the competition?

"Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter, Arsenal, Dortmund. This is the level and we are in this level. We have to be proud, but we want more. We need to compete against the best eight teams in the world. Our priority is to be close to the level we are facing.

"I watched it not really getting information, more as a football follower. Now we are going to analyse,"

A word on Ian Maatsen's performance?

"We need players as well getting confidence, feeling comfortable and playing minutes. Today was a very good opportunity. Against Brugge and Brentford, Digne played.

"Today was a very good opportunity for Maatsen. I want to try to get players feeling confident and having minutes as well in case we will need them for weeks or months, to be ready to play.

"He played a fantastic match. He is a young player. Progressively as well, he is practising and getting minutes today, close to getting his best performances.

"He played very well for Dortmund and played in the final with them. He has experiences and it is important to get them. His 90 minutes was fantastic for us and him."

Would you like to sign Asensio permanently?

"It depends. We are happy with him. We are protecting him because he is not feeling 100 per cent in the last matches he played. Today he was feeling good. He wanted to start the match, but I decided to protect him. How he played for 45 minutes was fantastic.

"He took the responsibility to do his task like we planned, scoring goals. How he is connecting with other players, getting good positions is really important for us. His skills, it is in my idea structurally and tactically, how I want to build the team. One player like him is very important."

How is Watkins and why did Kamara come off?

"Kamara is coming back after his injury and he was getting minutes. Today he played 45. It was both. One is because I was protecting him and secondly, tactically, I thought we needed to change something.

"Ollie Watkins, he told us to change him because he wasn't feeling good. I don’t exactly know his injury, but I think it is small.

"We used in that moment the chance to use Marcus Rashford as a striker. Really, he played the second half performing well as a striker."

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