Referee appointed for Barcelona vs Aston Villa in UEFA Champions League

UEFA has appointed Italian referee Davide Massa to officiate the match between FC Barcelona and Aston Villa, scheduled for Tuesday at Spotify Camp Nou, as part of the UEFA Champions League.

Mass is 45 years old and has held the international badge since 2014, currently being the most rising Italian referee on the European stage. Meanwhile, Bastian Dankert will take on the role of video assistant referee.

According to "Mundo Deportivo", the clash between FC Barcelona and Aston Villa will be the third match officiated by Massa in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League this season, having previously refereed the matches between Liverpool and Atlético, and Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

The Italian referee has one previous encounter with FC Barcelona, which dates back to last season, when he officiated the Catalan team's match against Eintracht Frankfurt at Spotify Camp Nou, which ended with a 2-1 victory for the home side.

As previously, Massa officiated a match for Aston Villa last season, which was against Lille in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, and during which the English team achieved victory with a score of 2-0.

Tuesday's match will be the second time Davide Massa officiates a game for both FC Barcelona and Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League.