Sevilla and Aston Villa honour Antonio Puerta as Emery returns to Nervión

The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán hosts one of the most emotional nights on the Sevilla calendar this Friday (20:30 local time). The 15th Antonio Puerta Trophy brings together Luis García Plaza's Sevilla and Unai Emery's Aston Villa in a contest that blends the memory of the eternal academy gem with a genuine continental test. For the Hondarribia-born coach, it also marks his return to a club he left in 2016 after building one of the most successful chapters in its modern history.

• Sevilla and Aston Villa meet this Friday at 20:30 in the Antonio Puerta Trophy.
• Unai Emery returns to the Sánchez-Pizjuán nearly five years after his departure, now in charge of the English side.
• The Basque coach won three consecutive Europa League crowns with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• Both teams are missing several players due to the international break and injuries.
• The match will offer minutes to squad players and several academy prospects.

Unai Emery returns to the Pizjuán with three European titles in his legacy

Few managers boast a connection with the Europa League as strong as Unai Emery's. Arriving at Sevilla in January 2013 to replace Míchel, he transformed the team into relentless continental winners: three consecutive trophies in 2014, 2015 and 2016 wrote his name among the club's legends. His love affair with the competition did not end there. Years later he added two more titles, with Villarreal in 2021 and with Aston Villa himself in 2026, smashing Giovanni Trapattoni's long-standing record.

Emery's return to Nervión is not a novelty. Friday's visit will be his third in the away dugout since joining Paris Saint-Germain. The previous two were not pleasant experiences: he lost both league meetings as Villarreal boss against a Sevilla side managed by Julen Lopetegui. In matchday 16 of the 2020-21 campaign, the hosts won 2-0 with goals from Lucas Ocampos and Youssef En-Nesyri, while a year later Ocampos struck again to seal a 1-0 win.

How Aston Villa arrive in Seville

The Birmingham side lands in the Andalusian capital after a three-day training camp in Marbella. Their Premier League start has fallen short of expectations, with one win, one draw and three defeats leaving them 16th in the table. Yet Villa are clearly trending upwards: in their last two outings they claimed away wins over Coventry City in the EFL Cup (1-3) and Tottenham Hotspur in the league (2-3).

The Champions League offers further encouragement. Emery's men won their first and only match in the competition, beating Club Brugge 3-2 on the road in a result that underlines their recent away form.

International break leaves both squads short-handed

The international window has taken a heavy toll on both squads. Sevilla are without five players on national team duty, while Aston Villa raise that number to nine: Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelöf, Matteo Ruggeri, Johan Manzambi, John McGinn, Ibrahim Mbaye and Nicolas Jackson. The English injury list also includes two important midfielders, Amadou Onana and Leon Goretzka.

Luis García Plaza has named a 23-man squad for the match. Missing his internationals plus players like Kike Salas, Rubén Vargas and Lucas Stassin, the latter still recovering from injury, the coach has been forced to call up several academy players. The encouraging news comes with the return of Fábio Cardoso, out of the team until a few days ago, and Fran González, now recovered from physical problems.

A chance for Sevilla's secondary players to step up

The Antonio Puerta Trophy also gives fringe players a valuable shop window. Carmona, Marcao, Julio Díaz, Manu Bueno, Alfon and Peque will have the chance to impress in front of their home crowd, while academy prospects such as Rafa Romero, Loren, Mario Díaz, Nico Guillén, Manuel Ángel and Ibra Sow get the opportunity to showcase their talent.

Important figures like Castrín and Fofana also want to use the fixture to regain match rhythm. The contest is a high-level test against Champions League opposition, an opportunity to assess form, try out tactical ideas and pay tribute to Antonio Puerta alongside a manager who made history on this very pitch.

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