McGinn ready for AZ challenge

John McGinn insists Aston Villa won’t be taking anything for granted in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season.

Villa host AZ Alkmaar two weeks after a 4-1 victory in the reverse fixture in the Netherlands on matchday three, with captain McGinn expecting a tough test on Thursday night.

Unai Emery’s side put in a superb display at AZ Stadion to move on to six points in Group E, following an opening defeat against Legia Warszawa and narrow late win over HŠK Zrinjski.

And McGinn is adamant he and his Villa team-mates are still on a learning curve in Europe, as they prepare for matchday four and another chance to step closer to securing qualification.

“I think the difficulty of the competition hasn’t been a surprise to me,” he said. “I know how hard it is to get into these competitions.

“I think the perception from the outside is ‘it’s just the Conference League, Aston Villa will turn up with the players we have and win’.

“It’s not been like that at all. Even over in Alkmaar, the scoreline suggests it was a comfortable game, but there were large spells of that, even at 4-1, which weren’t comfortable. I think people will remember that.

“We’re coming up against good teams, we’re pretty inexperienced at this level – so we’re getting better, we’re gradually improving.

“But all three teams in the group have given us huge tests so far, hopefully now we can push on and qualify.”

The Villans suffered a 3-2 reverse against Legia on matchday one, twice pulling themselves level before falling behind for a third time.

McGinn insists Villa learned a lot from that night in the Polish capital and a tough introduction to European football following the club’s 15-year absence from group stage competition.

It was the midfielder whose bagged a dramatic 94th-minute header to clinch a last-gasp 1-0 triumph over Zrinjski on matchday two, secured a thrilling and deserved three points.

The Scotland international was again on target at AZ Stadion, converting the fourth and final goal of a memorable night.

And McGinn feels that opening Group E encounter against Legia has stood Villa in good stead.

“I think us among four of five others, the outside perception is we’ll be there towards the end of this competition,” he said.

“We are embracing it, we know we are, we know we’re one of the biggest teams in the competition, but that doesn’t mean we (just) turn up against teams.

“I think the Legia game was really good for us, it was a huge learning curve and the minute we’re off it, teams will punish you and we got punished that night.

“So, as much as we didn’t want to lose, I think it was a huge learning curve for us that night and it’s given us a platform to respect each and every single team who plays.

“Zrinjski came and it was a huge effort from them, but I think we approached that game much, much better than the Legia one.

“And Alkmaar, the performance was professional.

“Carrying on in the competition, we’ll be taking no-one for granted, especially after the feeling we had at the end of the game in Poland.”