Aston Villa has defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 within the Champions League because of a superb late Jhon Duran aim because the hosts celebrated in model their first house recreation in Europe’s elite membership competitors for 41 years.
On an evening of shocks, one of many greatest occasions occurred at Villa Park in Birmingham.
With the Germans dominating possession however squandering probabilities, Villa coach Unai Emery despatched the 20-year-old Duran on within the seventieth minute and the Colombia ahead — who has made a behavior of scoring targets from the bench — did it once more.
Duran ran onto a excessive ball within the 79th minute, noticed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer off his line, and scooped the ball over him to ship Villa Park into delirium.
It was Duran’s fifth aim instead this season.
The win was a throwback to considered one of Villa’s most wonderful days after they beat Bayern to elevate the European Cup in 1982.
Prince William was born that yr, and he was cheering within the Villa Park crowd when Duran pounced late on.
Duran’s aim got here in opposition to the run of play as Bayern loved two-thirds of possession and one of the best probabilities however discovered Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at his finest.
Within the first half, the Argentine saved a Harry Kane bullet header brilliantly, although the striker was later dominated offside, then tipped over a shot from Michael Olise.
On the demise, with Bayern urgent for an equaliser, Martinez dived athletically to cease a goal-bound Kane header.
“It is unreal. It is a evening that we’ll bear in mind for a very long time. It is a assertion,” Martinez stated, praising the ambiance.
“It was hurting my ears. This can be a membership that is transferring ahead. I really like taking part in right here. I really like the followers.”
The outcome gave Villa two wins out of two within the new 36-team league part of the Champions League, whereas Bayern have begun their marketing campaign with a win and a defeat.
Earlier than Duran’s match-winner, Villa thought that they had taken the lead and made Bayern pay for missed probabilities within the first half when Pau Torres stabbed house throughout a melee in entrance of aim. However his effort was dominated out for an earlier offside by teammate Jacob Ramsey.
Serge Gnabry additionally blazed over when by way of on aim with Kane ready in area for a move and simple probability.
In different video games, Kylian Mbappé got here off the bench however could not stop defending champion Actual Madrid from dropping 1-0 at unheralded Lille.
With Mbappé a substitute after a minor hamstring damage, the opening aim got here from Canada striker Jonathan David’s penalty deep into first-half stoppage time. A video assessment dominated that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga dealt with the ball.
David scored a hat trick final weekend and shot confidently previous goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who was changing the injured Thibaut Courtois. Mbappé got here on within the 57th.
It was Madrid’s first loss within the competitors since a 4-0 hammering by Manchester Metropolis within the 2023 semifinal return leg.
Liverpool beat Bologna 2-0 at Anfield, whereas Juventus had goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio despatched off within the 59th for a handball but nonetheless gained 3-2 at Leipzig.
Italian facet Atalanta coasted to a 3-0 win over Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, Dutch membership Feyenoord secured a gritty 3-2 win at match newcomer Girona.
Kerem Akturkoglu, veteran Ángel Di Maria, Alexander Bah and Orkun Kokcu scored for Benfica in a 4-0 rout of Atletico Madrid; and Monaco netted a last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Dinamo Zagreb because of Denis Zakaria’s penalty.
Additionally, Sturm Graz misplaced 1-0 at house to Membership Brugge, because of a curling strike from Christos Tzolis.
Reuters/AP