Motivation is the driving force that has led Unai Emery to break the mould throughout his coaching career. To become a serial Europa League winner - lifting the trophy five times - the Basque manager has always relied on loyal players.
That same loyalty is what, in this first half of the year, has guided Aston Villa on their path to the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. Their journey inevitably passes through a clear identity, a contagious energy that speaks the language of creativity and instinct: the Argentine flair led by Emiliano Buendia.
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The night in Istanbul last May, capped off with a convincing 3-0 win over Freiburg and Europa League glory, definitively established the Birmingham side among Europe’s football elite. Yet, for a club that refuses to stop surprising, the challenge against European champions PSG is not a finish line, but the perfect stage to test the weight of their ambitions.
Buendia, the Mar del Plata talent, capped off what was his best season ever a year ago - not just statistically, with six assists and four goals in the European competition they won.
Scorer of Villa's second goal and provider of the assist for the third in the final against the Germans, the Villans’ number 10 put his stamp on a season in which his team finished fourth in the Premier League.
It was an extraordinary run that confirmed his ability to decide tough matches and highlighted his performances in the most crucial moments. In the 4-2 win over Liverpool, which secured fourth place, his tactical work was fundamental - even though he didn’t score or assist.
Buendia's quality and balance
He is, in fact, the true compass of Villa Park’s attacking movements. The number 10 is the mind that anticipates the play, the link between passion and order. It’s no coincidence that Emery himself summed up his importance with clear words: "To make an intense, vertical team work, you need players who think half a second ahead of the others. Emi is our compass in the final twenty meters."
Moving naturally between the lines, the 1996-born midfielder turns every ball recovered into a potential threat for opponents. Starting from the right, he often creates danger with his right foot, but he’s also able to give defenders few reference points when he drives forward with his left.
Included among the possible call-ups for the 2026 World Cup by Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni, he was left out for technical reasons. Now, arriving fresh after a summer spent on holiday, he will be the Villans’ main weapon against a PSG side still looking to hit their stride.
Garnacho provides another spark
But Buendia isn’t the only Argentine who could pose a major threat to the reigning European champions. The arrival of Alejandro Garnacho this summer has brought an electric jolt to the team.
Able to burst down the flanks and break open even the most compact defences, the young talent has found in Emery the ideal mentor to channel his raw unpredictability and turn it into tactical maturity.
Under the Spanish manager’s guidance, raw flair is blended with discipline: not just bursts of speed and sharp dribbles, but also the ability to read the game’s moments with a new intelligence.
And although he still has to prove he can be a decisive player over the long term, the former Manchester United and Chelsea man could be used as a substitute when the spaces open up, and a player who relies on long-distance speed can be crucial.
In the few opportunities he’s had so far, the 22-year-old seems to have developed an almost instinctive understanding with Buendia, sharing not only a similar background but also the desire to make a difference on the big stage. Like his compatriot, he could emerge over time, despite the 'phenomenon' label that was attached to him too soon.
For now, even if he starts from the bench after a facial injury in a friendly in Thailand, he’ll be called upon to be the surprise package in this final.
If the Basque coach wanted him so badly, it means he believes in him. And maybe Garnacho could be the right man to help Emery get his revenge on PSG, who let him leave after just two years due to unsatisfactory results in Europe.