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Deadspin | No. 6 Purdue eyes better start in Marquette matchup

Deadspin | No. 6 Purdue eyes better start in Marquette matchup

Dec 10, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) jukes Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Cade Tyson (10) during the second half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Sixth-ranked Purdue will be looking to build on a decisive bounce-back victory when it hosts Marquette in a nonconference game on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue (9-1) defeated visiting Minnesota 85-57 on Wednesday, led by a dominant second half after holding a 35-32 edge at the break. The Boilermakers were coming off their first loss of the season, 81-58 to then-No. 10 Iowa State on Dec. 6, a result that dropped them out of the top spot in the poll.

“I didn’t walk away from the Iowa State game and say, ‘Well, we’re not No. 1 anymore,'” Painter said following the Minnesota game. “I walked away from the Iowa State game saying we got our ass kicked and how could I have stopped that?”

Purdue opened the second half against Minnesota with a decisive 21-0 run, the Boilermakers’ third run of 20-0 or longer this season.

“Obviously you can’t go on runs like that unless you get stops,” Painter said. “And so, I thought our attention to detail defensively was pretty good.”

Purdue’s Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff each finished with a double-double.

Smith had 15 points with 12 assists, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Kaufman-Renn recorded his fifth double-double this season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Cluff had his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Purdue averages 85.2 points per game while allowing 67.9. The Boilermakers have been dominant on the glass, outrebounding opponents by 10.4 per game.

Fletcher Loyer averages a team-high 14.0 points per game for the Boilermakers, while Kaufman-Renn adds 13.9 points and 10.6 boards. Cluff averages 11.4 points and 9.1 rebounds, and Smith contributes 13.3 points and 8.8 assists — the latter figure ranking second in the nation.

Marquette (5-5) has been inconsistent in losing four of its past six games. The Golden Gophers are coming off a 96-76 nonconference road loss against in-state rival Wisconsin on Dec. 6.

The Golden Eagles hit just one of their first 13 shots against Wisconsin and one of their first 12 3-point attempts. In their previous game, a 75-72 overtime home win over Valparaiso, Marquette started 1 of 13 from beyond the arc.

Marquette scored eight of its 10 points in overtime from the free-throw line to beat the Beacons. Against the Badgers, the Golden Eagles made just 9 of 19 shots from the stripe.

The Golden Eagles average 80.9 points while giving up 76.4, but they are shooting just 42.5% on the season, including 31.1% from 3-point range.

Marquette shot 42% against Wisconsin after shooting just 35% against Valparaiso. In three of their losses, the Golden Eagles shot 38.5% or less.

“I thought we got a lot of good shots that did not go in,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said following the Wisconsin game. “So far the story of our season. So we’ve got to get better at making those, and we will.”

Chase Ross averages 19.5 points per game, freshman Nigel James Jr. adds 12.2 points and Ben Gold chips in with 9.5 points and team-best 7.2 rebounds.

Marquette defeated Purdue 76-58 last season in Milwaukee behind a triple-double by Kam Jones.

“We have been blessed and fortunate to have some really good teams of late, and this team’s behind those teams right now,” Smart said. “That’s a fact. And we need to get better and we will.”

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Purdue #eyes #start #Marquette #matchup

Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.

The conference tournaments.

While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.

Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.

What is the format for the ACC baseball tournament?

All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.

The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.

The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.

All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.

What are the seeds for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:

1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)

What is the bracket for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:

Who are the favorites in the ACC baseball tournament?

We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.

The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).

However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.

ACC baseball tournament schedule and scores

Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.

All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.

First Round: Tuesday, May 19

Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)

Second Round: Wednesday, May 20

Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22

Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Semifinals: Saturday, May 23

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern

Championship: Sunday, May 24

Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern

#ACC #baseball #tournament #Schedule #scores #bracket">ACC baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores, bracket, and more  Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.The conference tournaments.While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.What is the format for the ACC baseball tournament?All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.What are the seeds for the ACC baseball tournament?Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:1. Georgia Tech (25-5)2. North Carolina (22-8)3. Florida State (19-11)4. Boston College (18-14)5. Miami (16-14)6. Wake Forest (16-14)7. Virginia Tech (15-15)8. Virginia (14-16)9. NC State (14-16)10. Notre Dame (13-17)11. Louisville (13-17)12. Stanford (13-17)13. California (12-18)14. Pittsburgh (11-19)15. Clemson (10-20)16. Duke (10-20)What is the bracket for the ACC baseball tournament?Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:Who are the favorites in the ACC baseball tournament?We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.ACC baseball tournament schedule and scoresHere is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.First Round: Tuesday, May 19Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)Second Round: Wednesday, May 20Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., EasternGame 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., EasternGame 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., EasternGame 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., EasternQuarterfinals: Thursday, May 21Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., EasternGame 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., EasternQuarterfinals: Friday, May 22Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., EasternGame 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., EasternSemifinals: Saturday, May 23Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., EasternGame 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., EasternChampionship: Sunday, May 24Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern  #ACC #baseball #tournament #Schedule #scores #bracket

some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.

Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.

What is the format for the ACC baseball tournament?

All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.

The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.

The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.

All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.

What are the seeds for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:

1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)

What is the bracket for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:

Who are the favorites in the ACC baseball tournament?

We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.

The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).

However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.

ACC baseball tournament schedule and scores

Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.

All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.

First Round: Tuesday, May 19

Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)

Second Round: Wednesday, May 20

Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22

Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Semifinals: Saturday, May 23

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern

Championship: Sunday, May 24

Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern

#ACC #baseball #tournament #Schedule #scores #bracket">ACC baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores, bracket, and more

Selection Monday is just one week away, but until the field of 64 teams is announced, there is just one small matter of business.

The conference tournaments.

While the Patriot League begins play on Monday, the bulk of the conference tournaments kick off on Tuesday, including the ACC Tournament. The ACC is expected to get a host of teams into the field of 64, with some of the latest projections focusing on nine teams, but there are some teams that need a deep run this week in Charlotte to improve their chances of getting into the tournament. According to some of the latest projections three teams in particular — Clemson, Pittsburgh, and NC State — begin the week on the bubble.

Here is a look at how the ACC baseball tournament works, the bracket, and more.

What is the format for the ACC baseball tournament?

All 16 teams that play baseball in the ACC qualify for the ACC conference tournament. Syracuse and SMU do not currently field baseball teams.

The top four teams in the standings — Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College — are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 and all receive byes to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday. The next four teams in the standings — Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Virginia — are seeded No. 5 through No. 8 and receive byes to the second round.

The remaining eight teams will meet in the first round.

All games are single elimination, building to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game.

What are the seeds for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here are the seedings for the 2026 ACC baseball tournament, along with conference records:

1. Georgia Tech (25-5)
2. North Carolina (22-8)
3. Florida State (19-11)
4. Boston College (18-14)
5. Miami (16-14)
6. Wake Forest (16-14)
7. Virginia Tech (15-15)
8. Virginia (14-16)
9. NC State (14-16)
10. Notre Dame (13-17)
11. Louisville (13-17)
12. Stanford (13-17)
13. California (12-18)
14. Pittsburgh (11-19)
15. Clemson (10-20)
16. Duke (10-20)

What is the bracket for the ACC baseball tournament?

Here is the bracket for this year’s ACC baseball tournament, courtesy of the ACC:

Who are the favorites in the ACC baseball tournament?

We start at the top of the standings with Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest regular season in school history. Georgia Tech polished off its second consecutive regular-season title this weekend, sweeping Boston College on the road to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And they closed out the regular season with another run-rule victory, defeating Boston College by a final score of 15-2 in just seven innings. It was the sixth sweep of an ACC series this season, and in those three wins over the Eagles, Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 38-3, the most lopsided sweep over a Top 25 opponent in school history.

The Yellow Jackets can absolutely mash, and enter the conference tournament leading all of baseball in several offensive categories including batting average (.358), hits (674), on-base percentage (.469), scoring (10.7 runs per game), and slugging percentage (.630).

However, the Yellow Jackets are the No. 3 team in the country according to the latest Top 25 from D1 Baseball, as North Carolina clocks in at No. 2. While Georgia Tech finished the year with a 45-9 regular-season record North Carolina came in at 43-10-1. When these two teams met in Chapel Hill back in mid-April, North Carolina took two games of the three-game series.

ACC baseball tournament schedule and scores

Here is the schedule, and scores, for the ACC baseball tournament.

All games are in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lower seed will be the visiting team for each game.

First Round: Tuesday, May 19

Game 1: No. 16 Duke 21, No. 9 NC State 12 (NC State eliminated)
Game 2: No. 12 Stanford 11, No. 13 California 4 (California eliminated)
Game 3: No. 10 Notre Dame 5, No. 15 Clemson 4 (Clemson eliminated)
Game 4: No. 14 Pittsburgh 16, No. 11 Louisville 8 (Louisville eliminated)

Second Round: Wednesday, May 20

Game 5: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 8 Virginia, 9:00 a.m., Eastern
Game 6: No. 12 Stanford vs. No. 5 Miami, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 7: No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech, 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 8: No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Wake Forest, 9:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 21

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Georgia Tech, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Boston College, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Quarterfinals: Friday, May 22

Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Florida State, 7:00 p.m., Eastern

Semifinals: Saturday, May 23

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1:00 p.m., Eastern
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 5:00 p.m., Eastern

Championship: Sunday, May 24

Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner, 12:00 p.m., Eastern

#ACC #baseball #tournament #Schedule #scores #bracket

Europa League specialist Unai Emery is aiming to win the trophy for a record-extending fifth time and with a third different team.

His Aston Villa team faces Freiburg in Istanbul later on Wednesday when he can further enhance his remarkable record in the competition.

Having won Europe’s secondary trophy three years running with Sevilla from 2014-16, he then lifted it again with Villarreal in 2021.

Spot a pattern?

If his club’s fans are looking for a lucky omen, this is the third team with ‘Villa’ in its name that Emery has guided to the Europa League final and perhaps the third that he will lead to glory.

Not that the Spaniard, who has been a serial winner during his coaching career, is taking anything for granted.

READ: Arsenal crowned Premier League champion — How Arteta transformed Gunners into winners?

“I am not a ‘king’ in this competition,” he said during his pre-match news conference on Tuesday. “I am now, again, with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done, and of course, it’s there in that moment.

“I need to win tomorrow with the players we have now, with Aston Villa now, with the opponent we will face tomorrow now. It’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.”

Villa, which is fourth in the Premier League and guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, is the favourite to beat a Freiburg team that is seventh in the Bundesliga and 10 years ago, was playing in Germany’s second division.

This is its first European final.

“It is very special,” Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. “I have so much confidence in my team, and they give me that belief because there’s so much quality. I am not nervous; we have the confidence we need to play a great team and a great coach tomorrow.”

Published on May 20, 2026

#Europa #League #final #Unai #Emery #chance #extend #remarkable #record #competition">Europa League final gives Unai Emery chance to extend remarkable record in competition  Europa League specialist Unai Emery is aiming to win the trophy for a record-extending fifth time and with a third different team.His Aston Villa team faces Freiburg in Istanbul later on Wednesday when he can further enhance his remarkable record in the competition.Having won Europe’s secondary trophy three years running with Sevilla from 2014-16, he then lifted it again with Villarreal in 2021.Spot a pattern?If his club’s fans are looking for a lucky omen, this is the third team with ‘Villa’ in its name that Emery has guided to the Europa League final and perhaps the third that he will lead to glory.Not that the Spaniard, who has been a serial winner during his coaching career, is taking anything for granted.READ: Arsenal crowned Premier League champion — How Arteta transformed Gunners into winners?“I am not a ‘king’ in this competition,” he said during his pre-match news conference on Tuesday. “I am now, again, with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done, and of course, it’s there in that moment.“I need to win tomorrow with the players we have now, with Aston Villa now, with the opponent we will face tomorrow now. It’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.”Villa, which is fourth in the Premier League and guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, is the favourite to beat a Freiburg team that is seventh in the Bundesliga and 10 years ago, was playing in Germany’s second division.This is its first European final.“It is very special,” Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. “I have so much confidence in my team, and they give me that belief because there’s so much quality. I am not nervous; we have the confidence we need to play a great team and a great coach tomorrow.”Published on May 20, 2026  #Europa #League #final #Unai #Emery #chance #extend #remarkable #record #competition

Arsenal crowned Premier League champion — How Arteta transformed Gunners into winners?

“I am not a ‘king’ in this competition,” he said during his pre-match news conference on Tuesday. “I am now, again, with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done, and of course, it’s there in that moment.

“I need to win tomorrow with the players we have now, with Aston Villa now, with the opponent we will face tomorrow now. It’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.”

Villa, which is fourth in the Premier League and guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, is the favourite to beat a Freiburg team that is seventh in the Bundesliga and 10 years ago, was playing in Germany’s second division.

This is its first European final.

“It is very special,” Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. “I have so much confidence in my team, and they give me that belief because there’s so much quality. I am not nervous; we have the confidence we need to play a great team and a great coach tomorrow.”

Published on May 20, 2026

#Europa #League #final #Unai #Emery #chance #extend #remarkable #record #competition">Europa League final gives Unai Emery chance to extend remarkable record in competition

Europa League specialist Unai Emery is aiming to win the trophy for a record-extending fifth time and with a third different team.

His Aston Villa team faces Freiburg in Istanbul later on Wednesday when he can further enhance his remarkable record in the competition.

Having won Europe’s secondary trophy three years running with Sevilla from 2014-16, he then lifted it again with Villarreal in 2021.

Spot a pattern?

If his club’s fans are looking for a lucky omen, this is the third team with ‘Villa’ in its name that Emery has guided to the Europa League final and perhaps the third that he will lead to glory.

Not that the Spaniard, who has been a serial winner during his coaching career, is taking anything for granted.

READ: Arsenal crowned Premier League champion — How Arteta transformed Gunners into winners?

“I am not a ‘king’ in this competition,” he said during his pre-match news conference on Tuesday. “I am now, again, with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done, and of course, it’s there in that moment.

“I need to win tomorrow with the players we have now, with Aston Villa now, with the opponent we will face tomorrow now. It’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.”

Villa, which is fourth in the Premier League and guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, is the favourite to beat a Freiburg team that is seventh in the Bundesliga and 10 years ago, was playing in Germany’s second division.

This is its first European final.

“It is very special,” Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. “I have so much confidence in my team, and they give me that belief because there’s so much quality. I am not nervous; we have the confidence we need to play a great team and a great coach tomorrow.”

Published on May 20, 2026

#Europa #League #final #Unai #Emery #chance #extend #remarkable #record #competition

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