Jhon Duran’s performances from the bench for Aston Villa continue to defy belief and that continued to be the case against Bayern Munich.
In a crucial Champions League clash against Bayern Munich at Villa Park, the score was hanging in the balance at 0-0 with 20 minutes to go.
Sitting on the bench was Jhon Duran, a striker who knew he could make an impact if brought onto the pitch, with Unai Emery replacing him for Ollie Watkins.
Emery had faith that the 20-year-old could score the game’s decisive goal, with Duran producing the winning moment against Bayern in some style.
The Colombian forward spotted Manuel Neuer off his line and beautifully lobbed the ball over the legendary German goalkeeper to send Villa Park into raptures and write his name into the history books.
Jhon Duran’s incredible record as a substitute for Aston Villa
Duran’s impact as a substitute this term has been obscene, coming off the bench on five occasions to score, including strikes against West Ham, Leicester City, Everton, Wolves and now Bayern Munich.
In any normal circumstance, the young striker would be cemented as the club’s starting forward but with Watkins ahead of him, it has proven a ‘nightmare’ to usurp the Englishman.
Despite scoring another winning goal, Paul Merson doesn’t believe Duran will start against Manchester United and it’s a scenario he seems fine with, as long as he keeps making an impact in games.
Remarkably, the Colombian’s latest strike in the win over Bayern was his fifth from the bench this term and as per Opta Joe, no other player across Europe’s top five leagues has scored more after coming on while five of his six goals have been match winners.
Considering he’s still only 20, it’s scary to think how good the Villa No.9 can become, as he certainly has all the attributes to develop into a world-class striker.
What is Jhon Duran’s goal per minute ratio in 2024/25
Despite starting eight of his nine matches on the bench, Duran’s efficient and ruthless finishing have seen him boast a goal-per-minute record that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would both be proud of.
With six goals in just 297 minutes across all competitions, Duran is firing at a rate of one goal in just under 50 minutes every time he steps onto the pitch.
Interestingly, the pace, power and clinical finishing of the forward arguably suit him better coming on as a sub in matches as opposed to starting games.
Of course, there is no doubt that he deserves to be in the starting XI, perhaps alongside Watkins, but right now the dynamic of introducing him against tiring defences has worked a treat.
Duran will hope to continue his remarkable purple patch this weekend when Aston Villa host Manchester United on Sunday.
