Home comforts for Villa

David Villa knows that Barcelona must take advantage of playing the first leg at home in their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

The La Liga title holders have an opportunity to take an aggregate lead in the quarter-final tie when they play host to Shakhtar at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

But if they fail to gain a positive result at home, Barca may need to become the first team to win away to Shakhtar in Europe since the Ukrainian champions moved to the Donbass Arena in 2009.

“We’ve had a good weekend in the league (beating Sevilla on Sunday) and are very happy about it, but now we are in another competition against a tough opponent,” Spain striker Villa said.

“We’re playing at home in front of our own fans, but we still need to play well and not make hard work for ourselves in the second leg.”

“At this stage of the competition it’s very difficult to take a clear advantage going into the second leg (which is) at a ground at which Shakhtar haven’t lost yet.”

“They also play much better football in front of their own fans. We need to play well there.”