Aston Villa suffered a reality check in Barcelona.

They were ultimately not good enough to bridge the gap Unai Emery, and the club as a whole, want to close over the coming seasons.

Emery felt 3-0 was harsh. With the first-half chances Villa squandered it could be a fair assessment but it could have also been a heavier defeat.

Barca had further openings, especially through Anthony Gordon and Lamine Yamal, which would have rubber-stamped the hosts' second-half dominance.

Villa tried to go toe-to-toe with the five-time champions and almost pulled it off in the first half but it was a reminder how far they still have to go if they want to challenge the European establishment in the Champions League, regardless of May's Europa League win.

Yet they are still well placed in the Champions League table following three previous wins, with a trip to Galatasaray to come later this month.

Wednesday's games will likely see them drop from third but reaching the knock-out phase is already within reach.

Defending champions Paris St-Germain come to Villa Park in December, a repeat of the thrilling quarter final of 2024, and Emery will be eager to test himself and Villa against Europe's best again.

For now, a gap still remains.