Aston Villa Aston Villa head to the Sevilla game for the Antonio Puerta Trophy as the first English club ever invited to play for it. This year's fixture is the 15th edition of the memorial match, and it brings Unai Emery back to the club where he made his name in Spain.
Emery's return to Seville
Emery managed Sevilla between 2013 and 2016 and won the Europa League three times in succession. That run still shapes how he is viewed there, and it gives this friendly a sharper edge than most summer or autumn exhibition games.
Villa's domestic form has not been smooth. They sit 16th in the Premier League with 4 points from 5 matches, which is a long way from the 4th-place finish they managed last season. Sevilla are 5th in La Liga with 13 points from 7 matches, so the hosts arrive in stronger league shape than Villa.
The fixture's memorial weight
The trophy exists as a tribute to Antonio Puerta, whose death in August 2007 at the age of 22 gave the annual fixture its meaning. Puerta suffered a cardiac arrest during a La Liga match against Getafe and made 88 appearances for Sevilla and one for Spain in 2006.
Sevilla have won 12 of the previous 14 editions, with only Granada and Boca Juniors beating them in the fixture. That record is part of why Villa's invitation stands out, even if the night is still a friendly rather than anything more formal.
Brian Madjo is available after being out since Villa's 2-1 loss to Paris St-Germain in the Uefa Super Cup in August. That adds another squad note for Emery, but the main story remains the same: Villa are part of an occasion that Sevilla have usually kept close to home.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
