How Aston Villa’s plan paid off to beat Bayern Munich – with a finish fit for a future king

The future King of England, William, Prince of Wales, did not leave quietly at night.

“I’ve lost my voice,” he said. “I can’t quite believe it – 42 years…”

Aston Villa supporters started filtering out of the stadium even though no one wanted to move. Villa Park was still drinking from Jhon Duran’s magnificent finish, arguably a moment in time that produced perhaps the club’s best night in 42 years – following victory in the European Cup final against the same opponent in Bayern Munich, and with the same 1-0 scoreline.

‘Villa until I die’ roared. The flags, now famous memorabilia, were waved happily. Emiliano Martinez, who had done his own heroics with time-consuming saves at the end, kissed the badge. The roar that increased in decibels as Duran’s lob sailed over Manuel Neuer was guttural and piercing. It was almost a sound of disbelief and the realization that an astonishing goal had marked Villa’s astonishing rise under manager Unai Emery.

Prince William clenches his fists after Villa’s victory (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Less than two years ago, Villa was outside the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference. Now they had just beaten Bayern in a home match in the Champions League. Emery had spoken of making memories “like that great generation did in 1982” and under his leadership Villa continued to break new ground. The sense of occasion was high, but Emery had long preached that Villa needed to show they belonged on the biggest stage. And they did.

“The whole night was special,” said Morgan Rogers The Athletics after. “Walking into that atmosphere, I’ve never experienced anything like it. I will remember this for the rest of my life.”

“It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard Villa Park,” Martinez told TNT Sports. “It hurt my ears sometimes.”

Walk down Holte Road and you’ll see a newly painted mural. Emery is rightly in the foreground, but there is reference to the 82 win and Peter Withe, dressed in white and the goalscorer that night in Rotterdam, with his hands in the air and feet off the ground. In years to come, Duran’s clenched fists and roar will be synonymous with Bayern’s second victory.

Villa Park was raucous all evening, apart from the moments leading up to Duran’s goal. Supporters, perhaps unconsciously, began to get nervous, knowing that the clock was ticking and that their team could earn a draw. The only other time the atmosphere calmed was when the stadium fell silent before kick-off during the Champions League anthem, as if giving every fan time to absorb the grandeur of it all. Fireworks were set off and a large Tifo hung at the Holte End. A thirty-meter-long banner was unfurled at the bottom of the stands with the text ‘All heroes are Villans’.

GO DEEPER

Understanding Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran: ‘Nothing he got was free’

Duran is described by teammates as “a little crazy,” but few doubt his immense talent. His goal, his fifth as a substitute this season, was a crystallization of all these qualities, from the sheer conviction to score from one of modern football’s most eminent goalkeepers, to the actual skill in making it happen. He was introduced in the 70th minute after Ollie Watkins’ running battle with Dayot Upamecano and Emery saw Duran’s pace, power and natural grit could serve as a point of difference.

Martinez had initiated the move, with Pau Torres playing a quick left-footed pass into the channel where Duran stood on Upamecano’s shoulder.

WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS 🔥

Did Jhon Durán just deliver the moment of the evening?! 😮‍💨

📺 Look @tntsports And @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/laAj5FwErX

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 2, 2024

SUPER-SUB JHON DURÁN SET-UP VILLA FROM DISTANCE FOR AGAINST BAYERN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Dn53Tsg55Y

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 2, 2024

Curiously, just as the teams came out for the second half, Villa’s individual performance coach, Antonio Rodriguez Saravia, was deep in conversation with Watkins, gesturing to the precise move Duran would eventually make.

Saravia tapped Watkins to get his full attention before giving an example of a curved run, from right to left, bending his body as if sprinting on the outside of a centre-back.

Duran didn’t have much time to settle in, but he went for it anyway. The Colombian forward told US broadcaster CBS Sports after seeing Neuer not out of line, a sign of his instinctive nature or a reminder of some of the observations made to him during the analysis sessions that morning.

“Jhon was on fire,” Martinez told TNT. ‘He’s a super sub. With his first touch he lobbed Neuer, one of the best goalkeepers in history, forward. We know that Neuer plays high and we watched a lot of films with the manager, an hour and a half this morning.”

Martinez blew kisses to Villa fans after his late heroics (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

“In the analysis we talked about Neuer’s positioning – always high,” said Emery. “I talked to my assistant coaches about how he (Duran) shoots. Because he had this possibility in mind. He scored a similar goal against Hibernian last year. Pau Torres made a similar pass and then drove towards the keeper and shot. This time he just shot.”

A day earlier, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was asked about Villa’s strengths. Kompany identified their compact defensive structure and the threat during transition.

Rogers was a threat on the counter throughout (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

It was therefore peculiar that Bayern were happy to grant Watkins and then Duran a constant one-on-one battle against Upamecano, pushing so many players to higher levels. Villa knew they would have limited possession but were content to stay in shape, closing the distances between the lines and, on recapture, making a few short, quick passes before driving into the oceans of space that remained were left during the transition.

“We knew they would have more possession, so it was all about hitting them on the counter,” Rogers told TNT. “It was about allowing them to have the ball in certain areas, but if it was in midfield we had to be there.”

The only surprise in Villa’s line-up was Jaden Philogene making his first start since returning this summer. The players had trained the night before at 5 p.m., but most were not told the team of the match until the afternoon, with some excited family members and agents calling. But given the scale of the task, Philogene, who played for Hull City in the Championship last season, was briefed early on.

“I found out I was starting yesterday,” he said. “Leon Bailey got injured in training and he (Emery) pulled me into the office. He asked how I felt. I said, ‘Yes, I feel fine’ and he said, ‘Good, because you start tomorrow’. There were no nerves. I just wanted to play football. Unai just told me to play my game and gave me instructions.”

Villa’s analysis sessions are extensive and often long. While they are annoying, the breadth of detail Emery imparts to his players requires full concentration and buy-in. Duran’s finish was an example of why players remain so enamored with Emery – because there is continued evidence of his coaching and analysis driving success.

“There were two meetings today. We are used to it. That’s why we win games,” Rogers said. “We go through everything. We know what the characteristics of each player are.”

“He is very demanding, focused and knows what he wants,” Watkins said. “You hear that professionals work hard and do extra, but the same applies to him. He comes early and leaves late.”

The explosion of sound that met Duran’s finish and then the final whistle was a chilling sound that will linger in the minds of Villa supporters. An evening and a purpose befitting Villa’s extraordinary transformation.

(Top photo: Duran and Lucas Digne celebrating against Bayern. David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)