Aston Villa and Juventus battled it out for a tactical draw in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Before the game, Emi Martinez showed off his Yashin Trophy to the Villa fans, alongside his kids and it would be fitting for what would happen during the game.
This was Unai Emery v Thiago Motta. Teacher v Student. The Aston Villa boss coached the former Italy midfielder during their days at PSG.
Juventus have only shipped seven goals in Serie A this season, including four in one match, as they have had numerous goalless draws, including against AC Milan over the weekend.
So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this match created very few big chances and there were only moments of life in the game here and there.
Yes, Villa should have won it, especially after that guilt-edge chance for John McGinn and Morgan Rogers’ disallowed goal being wrongfully ruled out.
But Martinez was up to his old tricks again too.
Francisco Conceicao disappointed in himself after Emi Martinez’s wonder save
Villa fans will tell you that Martinez does this nearly every other game, making a save that makes you jump out of your seat.
Juve winger Conceicao was proving to be his side’s biggest threat on the right-hand side, with his quick movement and outstanding ability to change direction on the ball.
But it was from a corner, and from his head, where he felt that he opened the scoring when his downward header at the near post was amazingly clawed away by Martinez.
What’s amazing is that Conceicao was about to wheel away in celebration before realising that the ball had not gone in and he was disappointed in himself after the match when reacting to the save, as he told Juventus’s official website.
“We put in a good team performance and all that was missing was the goal,” expressed Conceicao.
“We have to give everything to win in the upcoming matches. {Emiliano] Martinez’s save from my header? It was a good chance, I’m disappointed it didn’t go in. I hope to score in the next game: it would be important for our Champions League campaign.”
Martinez’s clean sheet rank compared to other Champions League goalkeepers
It’s past the halfway stage of the Champions League league phase, so you are now getting a flavour of what everyone is about.
Only one team is yet to concede a goal and they are the champions of Italy – Inter – with their man in between the sticks, Yann Sommer, with a 100% record, as posted by Tranfermarkt.
Martinez, alongside Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi, have kept four clean sheets, with that bizarre Tyrone Mings penalty handball being the only goal Villa conceded.
