'I will take it' - Luiz undeterred by penalty miss
Douglas Luiz says he is "mentally strong" to take a penalty if required on Thursday evening as Aston Villa face Olympiakos in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
The Brazil midfielder missed an 84th-minute spotkick against the Greek side during their 4-2 defeat in the first leg at Villa Park and is keen to make amends in the rematch at the Karaiskakis Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST).
"I am the main taker and I know it is my responsibility," he said. "The one who takes is the only one who can miss.
"If we have another penalty, I will take it. I am mentally strong for that."
Villa have only picked up one point from their past two Premier League games and face a daunting task to overturn their two-goal deficit.
However Luiz, who has played a central role in an outstanding season for Unai Emery’s side, was resolute in his faith they could triumph in Piraeus.
"We are confident and believe we can win this game," said Luiz. "This is a huge game for Aston Villa as a club.
"This season has been great for us and we have played really good football. I am really grateful for everything Villa has done for me and I want to try my best to bring them to the final."
