Jhon Duran started for Colombia as they suffered a 3-2 loss against Uruguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Duran has been in fine form for Aston Villa this season, scoring eight goals in 17 appearances, with five of them coming from the bench.
Despite showcasing his goalscoring ability, the 20-year-old has still struggled to usurp Ollie Watkins as Unai Emery has understandably preferred the Englishman.
Watkins started for England and scored in a Nations League clash against Greece on Thursday. It was an outstanding performance from the 28-year-old however, similar can’t be said for Duran’s display in the defeat to Uruguay.
Jhon Duran misses three clear chances as Colombia lose vs Uruguay
Duran started alongside Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz and Juan Quintero – who was one of the best players on the pitch – but the Aston Villa star flattered to deceive on Saturday morning.
Those are words that have rarely been attributed to the Colombian forward this term, as Duran was previously named in the Champions League Team of the Week.
Typically, the Villa marksman is clinical when chances fall his way, boasting a 29% conversion rate in the Premier League this term, as per Sofascore.
However, in the defeat to Uruguay, Duran was uncharacteristically wasteful as Colombian news outlet El Heraldo claimed he ‘missed three clear chances to score’ and handed him a 4/10 match rating.
They wrote: “He participated in the match, however, he missed three clear chances to score. He did not fulfil his task.”
Despite failing to put away a few golden chances, his side very nearly snatched a 2-2 draw before Manuel Ugarte scored in the 11th minute of stoppage time to seal a late victory.
- READ MORE: Meet Unai Emery’s ‘supreme’ academy gem who could become Aston Villa’s next Jack Grealish
Duran stats vs Uruguay
A deeper dive into the stats suggests that Duran has areas of his game he must improve to reach the next level such as his ball retention and hold-up play.
On the other hand, one thing he already has in his locker is a brilliant work rate, as the Villa striker presses from the front and wins tackles.
- 32 touches
- 1 shot on target
- 3 shots off target
- 2 successful dribbles
- 8/14 (57%) accurate passes
- 10/13 duels won
- 2 fouls drawn
- 2 clearances
It wasn’t Duran’s worst-ever display by all means but he’ll certainly want to perform better in Colombia’s next match as they host Ecuador in another World Cup qualifier.
