Aston Villa repeated their famous 1982 European Cup final win over Bayern Munich with a thrilling 1-0 victory at Villa Park on Wednesday, courtesy of a stunning goal from Jhon Duran.
The Colombian striker caught Manuel Neuer off his line with just 11 minutes remaining, securing two wins from two games for Villa in their first experience of Champions League football in 41 years.
Bayern arrived at Villa Park unbeaten and in impressive form under manager Vincent Kompany, having averaged over four goals per game in their opening matches, including a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb. However, they were stifled by Unai Emery’s tactical game plan.
Duran’s decisive moment came when he latched onto Pau Torres’ long pass and fired over Neuer from long range, much to the delight of the 40,000 fans in attendance, including Prince William. This victory marked a significant achievement for Villa, who just five years ago were in the second tier of English football.
Following a comfortable 3-0 win over Young Boys in their previous match, the clash against the six-time European champions was a highly anticipated fixture for Villa fans, and they were not disappointed.
Bayern’s Harry Kane, who had recently overcome an ankle injury that forced him off late in their 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, had a close chance with a header from an offside position that was well saved by Villa’s Emi Martinez, but that was as close as the visitors came to breaking through Villa’s well-organized defense.
