In a historic rematch of the 1982 European Cup Final, Aston Villa hosted Bayern Munich at Villa Park on Wednesday in Matchday 2 of the Champions League group stage. The Villans emerged victorious with an amazing 1-0 win, thanks to a late wonder goal from Jhon Duran.
Villa Park Welcomes Champions League Football
This match marked Aston Villa and Bayern’s first clash since the iconic 1-0 win of the Villans over Bayern in the 1982 European Cup Final in Rotterdam. Unai Emery’s side entered the match on the back of a convincing 3-0 win over Young Boys in their Champions League opener.
Bayern, six-time winners of the competition, were the overwhelming favourites, having beaten Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in their first group game. The Bavarians boasted a star-studded lineup, including Premier League imports Harry Kane and Michael Olise, who scored four and two goals respectively in the Dinamo match.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, with bookmakers giving Villa just a 23.3% chance of victory compared to Bayern’s 53.7%, the Holte End faithful were in full voice as they welcomed Champions League football back to Villa Park.
Villa made one change from their 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town at the weekend, with Jaden Philogene replacing Leon Bailey on the right flank for his first start of the season. Bayern, meanwhile, made two changes from their 1-1 draw with champions Bayer Leverkusen, as Kingsley Coman and Konrad Laimer replaced the surprisingly dropped Jamal Musiala and Raphael Guerreiro.
A Tense First Half: Chances at Both Ends, but No Breakthrough
In the first half, both sides had chances but failed to break the impasse. Villa thought they had taken the lead through centre-back Pau Torres, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside against Jacob Ramsey.
Bayern’s best chance fell to Michael Olise, whose superb strike was tipped over the bar by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Joshua Kimmich also tested Martinez twice, while Serge Gnabry fired wide. At the other end, Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana came close for Villa.
Kingsley Coman was Bayern’s standout performer in the first half, being involved in everything for the Bavarians. The French international had one shot blocked, two touches in the box, completed 10 passes in the final third, and created one big chance. He also contested a game-high 14 duels, winning six including two successful dribbles, and helped turn over possession on four occasions with two completed tackles from four attempts.
Duran’s Moment of Magic: A Goal to Remember
The second half continued in a similar vein, with Bayern dominating possession but Villa looking dangerous on the break. The hosts almost took the lead through substitute Ian Maatsen, but his effort flew over the bar.
The decisive moment came in the 79th minute, when Villa’s Colombian striker Jhon Duran, on as a substitute just nine minutes earlier, latched onto a long ball from Torres. Spotting Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer off his line, Duran executed a perfect shot from distance, sending Villa Park into raptures.
Despite late pressure from Bayern, with Martinez making crucial saves to deny Gnabry, Mathys Tel, and Harry Kane, Villa got their 1-0 victory — just as they did 42 years ago in Rotterdam.
Aston Villa Wins 1-0 Over Bayern
The win ended Bayern’s 41-game unbeaten run in the Champions League group stages, the longest such streak in the competition’s history. Villa became only the second English side to win their first two Champions League games, after Leicester City in 2016-2017.
Jhon Duran’s goal was his fifth as a substitute this season, more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. Since his Villa debut in February 2023, only Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (11) has scored more goals as a sub in Europe’s big five leagues than Duran (10).
The victory, which emulated the spirit of Villa’s 1982 triumph, will live long in the memory of the Villa faithful as they savour their return to the Champions League stage.
The win puts Aston Villa in a strong position, with six points from their first two games, while Bayern stopped at three points. The next match for Aston Villa will see them clash against Bologna on October 22, while Bayern is set to play against Barcelona on October 23.
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