BBC 5 Live Breakfast

Image source, Getty Images

We know at least one Aston Villa player who won't be afraid of a drop of rain - Super John McGinn.

Former Villa midfielder Marc Albrighton told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Villa captain was 'someone you need in your team':

"One thing about John McGinn, I think every manager has got to the point where they see him as the most important player in the team. His ability, his work-rate, he's somebody that you need in your team.

"I think if you asked any of those Villa players the one person that is most important in that team, they would say John McGinn. Off the field he is a great character, a great personality to have around the place.

"He will be the first to say that he doesn't consider himself as the best player in the team but for what he offers, he is certainly the most important. He's been fantastic so fingers crossed he gets the job done. Villa win, I'm going to go convincing [and say] 3-1."

A slick surface could suit Villa, Nigel. Or are we talking deep puddles and heavy downpours?

It's 29C and sunny right now in New York, Kieran, but thundery showers are predicted later so I think you made the right choice...

We should probably also raise a glass to those braving the elements in Turkey.

The Europa League final kick offs in Istanbul at 10pm local time (20:00 BST).

But at the moment, the weather is far from ideal.

Unfortunately, things are not likely to improve.

The current weather forecast is 17 degrees from 10pm onwards with thundery showers and light winds.

Freiburg and Villa fans will need their umbrellas.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

I'm not going to lie, I started welling up reading those last two messages.

It's an experience football fans share, whatever club they support.

In these key moments it's impossible not to think of those who are no longer with us, while also wondering what the future holds for our nearest and dearest.

It's a bit early, but I'm raising a glass to you all!

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter in Istanbul

Unai Emery's worries could fade away in Istanbul.

The Aston Villa boss is ready for Wednesday's Europa League final against Freiburg, the culmination of a season which initially had him concerned.

A winless opening five games - scoring just once - ended with a Europa League victory over Bologna in September.

It was a stuttering three points, thanks to John McGinn's early goal, but it got Villa up and running and they won 17 of their next 19 games.

The biggest match of them all now comes at Besiktas Park against Freiburg, one which could end a 30-year wait for a trophy and create a lasting legacy for Villa and Emery.

His calmness and meticulous nature ensured Villa recovered but the 54-year-old believes the collective effort has shone through.

He said: "I was worried at the beginning. Really worried. I was always trying to find solutions in each moment. I needed the players, I needed the work we did and the reaction we did.

"We are here for it, but we did it together."

Image source, Getty Images

Constantin Eckner
German football writer on BBC Sounds' More than the Score podcast

They [Freiburg] finished seventh in the Bundesliga so they are at least qualified for the Conference league next season, but of course they want more.

The club is not known that well internationally but they were first promoted to the Bundesliga in 1993 and they are the proverbial underdogs in a sense. They are a small club from the south west of Germany near the German-French and German-Swiss border.

They are a bit out of the centre of Germany but locally Freiburg are a major institution. The city itself has roughly 240,000 people living there while Freiburg as a club has 80,000 members.

It is one of the 30 largest clubs in terms of memberships in the world, but many have not heard of them because it is quite a local affair. Up until this season they had never got past the round of 16 in European competition. In some years they fight against relegation, they have been relegated and promoted back to the Bundesliga on three occasions.

People might not know that much about Freiburg but it is an intriguing club. For many years they always said they wanted to be one of the best 25 clubs in Germany. The Bundesliga is only 18 clubs, so they were even maybe content being in the second division and being in the best seven best teams there.

With time, and more and more success, playing the Europa League in recent years, of course they want to achieve more and now they want to bring down Aston Villa in Istanbul.

Both sides will have to cope with the same conditions, obviously.

Let's bring you up to speed now on Aston Villa's opponents, Frieburg...

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter in Istanbul

Image source, BBC Sport

It has been tipping it down in Istanbul for the last couple of hours.

Enterprising umbrella salesmen are doing good business out of the Villa and Freiburg fans who have taken shelter anywhere they can.

It has taken a little of the atmosphere away which has been building nicely since yesterday, with fans congregating around the city's Taksim Square.

Kick off is at 10pm local time so there is still plenty of time for it to improve again, although the road closures ahead of the game are causing chaos with journeys which should take five minutes taking 40.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

That pic in our last post was taken around lunchtime today, the weather is looking a little more, well, English right now...

BBC 5 Live Breakfast

Right, let's hear from somebody out in Istanbul.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Marc Albrighton spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live from the host city of tonight's Europa League final earlier today: "I think [feeling] quietly confident. It's going to be a difficult game. Finals, as we saw in the FA Cup final at the weekend, are usually cagey. I don't expect this one to be any different. I think Villa over the course of the season seem to play better in the second half and seem to open up a bit. I expect a cagey start but I do expect Villa to go on and win it in the second half."

On the atmosphere in Istanbul: "Fantastic. I got a flight yesterday morning and from the moment I got to Birmingham Airport, it was just a sea of Villa everywhere. It was amazing to see. So many fans that have come out here and then last night being in and around the city and seeing streets full of claret and blue, claret and blue flags in restaurants. It seems very good and friendly with the locals as well, which is fantastic."

On Villa being used to big occasions: "Over the course of the last couple of years with the European nights they have had at Villa Park, they always seem to show up on those big occasions, none more so than against Nottingham Forest in the semi-final. I see a lot of these players that have come good and adapted to every situation that they have been put in. You've got the manager Unai Emery who has got a great record in this competition but I've got all trust and faith in him that he will have the players in the right mindset and mentality going into this game tonight."

Image source, PA Media

Aston Villa

It is fair to say that Aston Villa's appearance in a European final is a rare occurrence, Adam.

Aston Villa won the European Cup, now known as the Champions League, in 1982.

They also won the Uefa Super Cup that year.

Their only other success in European competition came in the now defunct Intertoto Cup, which Villa won in 2001 and were named co-winners in 2008.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa may have made serene progress through this season's Europa League, but Unai Emery dismissed the suggestion that he was the king of the competition, as well as any misconception that the job was almost done.

"I am not a king in this competition," he said. "I am now here with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done and of course it's there in that moment but with it I am not winning.

"I need to win [in Turkey] with the players we have now, with Villa now. So now it's a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.

"If you are not respecting the opponent, you are closer to losing. If you are not respecting Europe, like we did during the process, we are not here. This is the strong mentality we had before.

"We have a huge challenge, a huge challenge. Are we thinking about the next party on Friday? No, no."

Aston Villa

Unai Emery has been at it again this season, guiding his Aston Villa side expertly through to another final.

Villa's Europa League journey began in September. They cruised through the league phase with seven wins against Bologna, Feyenoord, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Young Boys, Basel, Fenerbahce and Salzburg.

Their only defeat was against Go Ahead Eagles as they finished second behind Lyon in the table.

The graphic below shows Villa's progress in the knockout stages as they beat Lille, Bologna and finally Nottingham Forest to reach the final.

Image source, Getty Images

That's genius Jamie. Like a question on the 1% Club.

You are quite right - Unai Emery is the most successful manager to win the Europa League, having done so four times - with Sevilla and Villareal. So just Aston Villa to complete the set.

4 - Unai Emery (2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)

3 - Giovanni Trapattoni (1977, 1991, 1993)

2 - Luis Molowny (1985, 1986), Juande Ramos (2006, 2007), Rafael Benitez (2004, 2013), Jose Mourinho (2003, 2017), Diego Simeone (2012, 2018)

Image source, Getty Images