In a thrilling Champions League matchup, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez credited the deafening crowd at Villa Park for inspiring his team’s 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich. The Argentine goalkeeper made several crucial saves, including a spectacular palm away of a Harry Kane header, to secure the win.
Martínez praised the electric atmosphere, saying, “This is the loudest Villa Park I’ve heard since I joined the club. It was hurting my ears at some point. I love playing here. I love the fans. This is a win for them.”
The game’s only goal came in the 79th minute when Jhon Duran unleashed a stunning long-range strike from 30 yards out, looping the ball over Manuer Neuer’s head. Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, revealed that his team had identified Neuer’s tendency to position himself outside the penalty area as an opportunity to exploit.
Emery praised Duran’s incredible strike, saying, “When Duran received the ball, he was shooting quick. 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’s goal marked his fourth late winner of the season, with three of them securing crucial victories for Villa. Emery started Ollie Watkins up front, who played 70 minutes before being replaced by Duran. The manager welcomed the challenge of having two in-form strikers, saying, “It’s a good problem for the team, as I have one striker – Watkins, he plays at a top level, and a young player who’s growing his talent and wants to be in the starting 11.”
Villa now sits at 2-0 in the Champions League, with Emery targeting a top-eight spot in the pool stage to secure direct qualification to the knockout round. Despite Bayern’s defeat, manager Vincent Kompany downplayed concerns over his team’s recent struggles in front of goal, saying, “What we normally do so well is score goals… I don’t see this as a trend. It’s just what’s happened this week.”
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