Having reached the semi-finals of the Conference League in 2024 and the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, Aston Villa wants to take it a step further and win their first European trophy in almost half a century.

Forty-two years have passed since the Midlands team defeated Bayern Munich to win the Champions League. Now they face another German team, competing for the Europa League title.

skysports aston villa unai emery_7086430.jpg
Coach Unai Emery is nicknamed the "king of cup competitions" - Photo: Sky Sports

On their way to the final, Aston Villa played exceptionally well in the group stage, finishing second, then easily overcame Lille and Bologna to advance to the semi-finals where they faced familiar opponents Nottingham Forest.

Despite losing 0-1 in the first leg, the team at Villa Park played brilliantly in the return match, winning convincingly 4-0 and rekindling Aston Villa's hopes of winning their first major title since 1996.

Unai Emery's team had a perfect warm-up for their trip to Istanbul, scoring four goals against Liverpool last weekend.

That result not only helped Villa secure fourth place, but also guaranteed them a Champions League spot one matchday early, allowing the entire team to focus entirely on the Europa League final.