Aston Villa hosted Bayern Munich in a mouth-watering Champions League clash at Villa Park.
Unai Emery was looking to join Jose Mourinho in securing three wins over Bayern Munich in the Champions League while ending their 41-match unbeaten record in the group stage.
Aston Villa started this contest tentatively and were prepared to sit deeper in their shape while countering quickly when they received the ball.
Bayern Munich reduced Emi Martinez to some fine stops in the opening stages but once they grew into the game, Villa looked electric on the counter-attack, with Ollie Watkins causing Dayot Upamecano nightmares.
Villa fans were left angered that Upamecano wasn’t sent off in the first half after hauling Watkins to the ground, with not even a free kick awarded.
In the second half, Emery’s men had to endure long spells without the ball but Villa’s defence held firm against a barrage of Bayern attacks.
It was a game that was crying out for a moment of quality from either side, so when Jhon Duran came off the bench, there was a sense he could produce the telling moment, and he did.
Replacing Watkins in the 70th minute, the 20-year-old produced a stunning strike to beat Manuel Neuer, who was caught off his line.
This was his fifth goal from the bench this season, and what a time to produce it as Emery ended Bayern’s 41-match unbeaten record in the Champions League group stage.
Here’s how the players rated.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Bayern Munich
Emi Martinez – 9
Martinez is used to the big occasion having won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and here, he pulled off some remarkable saves, one of which denied Michael Olise’s curling effort in the first half and produced multiple spectacular saves to deny Bayern in the dying embers.
Ezri Konsa – 8
Konsa unsurprisingly stepped up to the occasion against an elite level of opponent. He didn’t allow the tricky and pacey Kingsley Coman to get any loose change out of him and showed why he’s one of the best one vs one defenders on the planet.
Diego Carlos – 7
Question marks will have been raised over his inclusion in the starting XI after his horror show in the draw against Ipswich Town. But he perhaps proved many of the doubters wrong with an assured performance, passing accurately and winning most of his physical battles.
Pau Torres – 8
Torres thought he gave Villa the lead in the first half after finishing coolly inside the box but unfortunately, celebrations were brought to a halt after VAR disallowed the goal for offside. It was a typically solid display from the Spaniard, who produced the incredible pass for Duran’s stunning goal.
Lucas Digne – 6
Bayern will have perhaps targeted Digne as a weakness defensively but the Frenchman stood his ground against the dangerous Serge Gnabry, blocking crosses and clearing the ball away from danger.
Amadou Onana – 7
Onana was a dominant force in midfield alongside Tielemans, with the Belgian recording a 100% pass completion (15/15) and won three of his four ground duels during his 60 minutes on the pitch. A fantastic performance.
Youri Tielemans – 7
It was always going to be a tough night for Villa’s midfield, who had the job of protecting their defence against a pacey and threatening Bayern attack. But Tielemans held his own and was the one they relied on to distribute possession accurately, which he did effectively.
Jaden Philogene – 8
Made his first start of the season at Aston Villa in one of the club’s biggest games for decades and didn’t let the occasion affect him. Going forward, he was a danger with his pace on the left and right while doing the dirty work that often goes unnoticed, winning seven ground duels.
Morgan Rogers – 7
Held his own against some world-class midfielders and had them beat for pace and power every time he received the ball. He also showed his ability to win duels and defend when asked, and that was just as important as his attacking play.
Jacob Ramsey – 5
Continued in his role on the left wing for Villa but the 23-year-old was substituted in the 27th minute for Leon Bailey after suffering an injury.
Ollie Watkins – 8
Watkins was electric against Bayern Munich and gave centre-back Dayot Upamecano nightmares every time he received the ball. In the first half, Upamecano should have seen a red card after bringing Watkins down on the halfway line.
Substitutes
Leon Bailey – 3
Emery perhaps surprised a few people when he started Jaden Philogene over Leon Bailey on the right. However, he came off the bench to replace the injured Ramsey in the first half and had zero impact on the game, with the Villa boss choosing to substitute him on the hour mark for Ian Maatsen. A disappointing night for the winger.
Ross Barkley – 5
Came on for Onana in the second half and put in a pretty anonymous performance in midfield, winning none of his ground duels and recording just a 57% pass completion.
Ian Maatsen – 5
Struggled to get into the game after being brought on but did look dangerous every time he drove forward.
Jhon Duran – 9
It’s hard to believe that Duran is just 20-years-old. To come off the bench for the fifth time this season and score a stunning winner to beat Bayern Munich is unbelievable, and it’s scary to think how good he’s going to become.
