Ezri Konsa Confident As Aston Villa Secures Top Eight Position In Champions League

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Aston Villa's defender, Ezri Konsa, believes it is no shock that the team ranks among the top eight in the Champions League standings as they prepare to face Monaco. Villa currently sits fifth in the new 36-team format with 13 points from six matches. This marks their first major European tournament appearance since the 1982-83 season.

Under Unai Emery, Villa has secured wins against Bundesliga teams Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and held Juventus to a goalless draw. Only Atalanta, Liverpool, and Feyenoord have collected more away points than Villa's six this season. They are assured of at least a play-off spot and aim for automatic qualification with a strong result against Monaco.

Villa approaches the Stade Louis-II match with confidence after rallying from two goals down to draw with Arsenal in their recent Premier League game. Emery is optimistic about securing three points against Monaco, a team he frequently defeated while managing Paris Saint-Germain. He won his last six encounters against them across all competitions with an aggregate score of 23-4.

Konsa expressed that discovering their group opponents was challenging but emphasized their self-belief, especially under Emery's leadership. "It is terrific [our position]. Finding out the teams we were going to play, we knew it would be difficult," Konsa said. "We are a team that believes in ourselves, especially with the manager we have. He has put so much confidence in us."

Despite their current form, Villa has struggled historically against French sides in Europe, remaining winless in four away matches (D2 L2). Their latest defeat came last season against Lille in the Conference League quarter-final second leg.

Emery's last encounter with Monaco resulted in a 7-1 victory during a Ligue 1 match in April 2018. However, replicating such a result seems unlikely this time around. Konsa remains optimistic about their prospects: "I wouldn't say it is a surprise [we are up there]. We are a great team and I think we have proven it. Long may we continue doing that."