Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterOct 2, 2024, 06:46 PM ET
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• Joined ESPN in 2011• Lined two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions excursions• Beforehand rugby editor, and have become senior author in 2018
BIRMINGHAM, England — Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez stated the gang was the loudest he’d ever heard it at Villa Park after serving to his group beat Bayern Munich 1-0 within the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Jhon Duran’s 79th minute long-range strike was sufficient to earn Villa a memorable victory over Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich in what was the host’s first top-level European match at Villa Park in 41 years.
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Bayern had the majority of possession and had possibilities to stage the match late on, however Martinez saved brilliantly to palm away a close-range Harry Kane header. And postmatch, the Argentine World Cup-winner paid tribute to the followers and devoted the win to them.
“This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club, that’s for sure,” Martinez stated. “It was hurting my ears at some point. I love playing here. I love the fans. This is a win for them.”
Whereas Martinez’s sensible saves late on preserved the three factors, that they had Duran’s unimaginable strike to thank for a well-known victory. The aim got here as Pau Torres’ lengthy ball cut up the Bayern defence and Duran hit a first-time shot from 30 yards that looped over goalkeeper Manuer Neuer’s head. Neuer was regularly positioned exterior of his penalty space when Bayern have been attacking, and Unai Emery revealed postmatch that Villa had recognized that as an space of alternative.
“When Duran received the ball, he was shooting quick,” Emery stated. “In the analysis we were speaking a lot about how the usual positioning of Neuer, [and how it is] always high. I spoke with my assistant coaches, about how to shoot [first time], and he had this in his mind.”
Duran has had an unimaginable knack of scoring late winners for Villa this season. He has 4 within the Premier League this time period, three of them securing Villa key victories. Emery began Ollie Watkins up entrance in opposition to Bayern, and he performed 70 minutes earlier than being changed by the match-winner.
Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez celebrates after a win in opposition to Bayern Munich within the Champions League. Getty Pictures
The Villa supervisor stated having two in-form strikers is a welcome headache, with Watkins excelling for Villa as effectively.
“For my management, it’s a challenge, as I have to get the best [out of the players],” Emery stated. “It’s drawback for the group, as I’ve one striker — Watkins, he performs at a high stage, and a younger participant who’s rising his expertise and desires to be within the staring 11. I’m very proud of this case.
“It was important that Watkins did the work in 70 minutes and Duran, different ways, fresh player, scored the goal to win the match. They [have] played together, and will play together.”
Villa have received each Champions League video games to date, having additionally defeated Younger Boys 3-0 and Emery stated his group are concentrating on one of many high eight spots within the competitors’s pool stage, which might give Villa direct qualification to the knockout spherical without having a playoff.
“I am very proud of everything around Aston Villa,” Emery stated afterward.
For the guests, that they had their justifiable share of possibilities however have been left annoyed by Martinez and a few sensible scrambling defending from Villa. Regardless of the defeat, Kompany stated it might have little long-term affect on his group’s prospects within the Champions League.
It was an evening through which there was loads of nostalgia at Villa Park given these two met within the 1982 European Cup closing, a match Villa received 1-0. However Kompany stated such reminiscences haven’t any bearing on Wednesday’s match.
“When it comes to winning and losing, you don’t need the context of so many years,” he stated. “We lost the game, the game has its own stories. We had big chances and they had a moment, and in that moment, they scored a goal. I understand the occasion for the opponent, but it doesn’t decide the Champions League today.”
And having seen his group rating just one aim of their final two matches — of their 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen — Kompany performed down any issues over their latest wastefulness in entrance of aim.
“Over two games against teams I rate highly, we conceded few chances,” Kompany stated. “What we usually achieve this effectively is rating objectives, for one purpose or one other, it’s been [against the] bar or put up, however with the group we’ve, I don’t see this as a pattern. It’s simply what’s occurred this week.
“If we focus on our own work, we’ll win a lot of games still.”
