Aston Villa Stun Bayern Munich in Champions League Thriller as Emiliano Martinez Hails Loudest Villa Park Crowd

Aston Villa secured a memorable 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, their first top-level European match at Villa Park in 41 years. Jhon Duran’s stunning 79th-minute strike from 30 yards proved to be the difference, as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made several crucial saves to preserve the win.

After the match, Martinez praised the Villa Park crowd, saying, “This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club, that’s for sure. It was hurting my ears at some point. I love playing here. I love the fans. This is a win for them.”

Manager Unai Emery revealed that Villa had identified Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s tendency to position himself outside the penalty area as a potential weakness. “When Duran received the ball, he was shooting quick,” Emery said. “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.”

Emery also praised his striking options, with Ollie Watkins starting the match and Duran coming on as a substitute to score the winner. “For my management, it’s a challenge, as I have to get the best [out of the players],” Emery said. “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. I am very happy with this situation.”

Despite the defeat, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany downplayed any long-term impact on his team’s Champions League prospects. “When it comes to winning and losing, you don’t need the context of so many years,” he said. “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.”

Kompany also addressed Bayern’s recent lack of goals, stating, “Over two games against teams I rate highly, we conceded few chances. What we normally do so well is score goals, for one reason or another, it’s been [against the] bar or post, but with the team we have, I don’t see this as a trend. It’s just what’s happened this week.”

With two wins from two Champions League matches, Aston Villa are targeting a top-eight finish in the competition’s pool stage, which would secure direct qualification to the knockout round without the need for a playoff.