Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern Munich: Duran stunner seals Villa victory
Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern Munich: Duran stunner seals Villa victory. ‘s first home game in UEFA Champions League competition since 1983, ended in victory on Wednesday evening as the Villians beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in the Champions League.
In a repeat of the famous 1982 European Cup final, Villa’s Jhon Duran netted an exquisite winner in the 79th minute, to continue his remarkable record of scoring off the bench this season, and also sealing the win and all 3 points for the home side.
After beating Young Boys 3-0 in their European opener last time out, Villa’s defence reigned supreme against Bayern as they secured back-to-back victories to make the perfect start to their Champions League return.
How the game unfolded;
Hosting their first Champions League match at Villa Park since the European Cup’s rebranding, Aston Villa were roared on by a deafening home crowd as the first whistle blew. But the visitors were not to be over-awed as they dominated early proceedings without testing Emiliano Martinez regularly.
Villa were happy to surrender territory to a Bayern side hungry for possession, but were swift to punish them on the counter-attack. Villa’s Ollie Watkins mesmerized Dayot Upamecano more than once following fast breaks, with the French defender perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card after fouling the England forward twice in quick succession.
The hosts thought they had taken the lead following Upamecano’s second foul on Watkins, with centre-back Pau Torres poking home from the subsequent free kick. Jubilant celebrations were cut short however, with VAR penalising Jacob Ramsey for being offside in the build-up.
Spurred on by an almighty scare, Bayern left their brightest moment for the end of the half as summer recruit Michael Olise brought the best out in Martinez. The former Crystal Palace winger took aim with his left foot from 25 yards out, and forced the Villa goalkeeper into a fine save as the ball arrowed towards the top corner.
With neither side able to get their nose in front before the half-time whistle, the patterns of the first period were unchanged after the restart. Bayern continued to have a stranglehold on possession and created a few half chances early doors, with Olise seeing two efforts blocked before Serge Gnabry’s tame shot was comfortably held by Martinez.
The game appeared to be petering out as defences prevailed but it was super sub Duran who proved Villa’s saviour once again. Pau Torres’ exquisite pass into the Colombian was timed and finished to perfection, with Duran taking his strike early and lifting the ball over the stranded Manuel Neuer from 25 yards out. Yet another astonishing finish from the in-form forward.
Villa held firm defensively but had Martinez to thank in the dying stages as he made two excellent saves to deny Gnabry and then Harry Kane, with the Argentine’s impressive stops securing a memorable Champions League victory for the Villans.
