42 years ago, also with a score of 1-0, Aston Villa defeated Bayern in the Champions League final. Now, for many veteran fans, they feel like they are reliving that glorious moment once again. The singing still follows the footsteps from the stands at Villa Park to the stadium doors and continues to echo throughout the streets.
Earlier, tens of thousands of home fans had experienced the ultimate ecstasy when Jhon Duran put the ball over Manuel Neuer's head to score the only goal of the match. They also experienced breathtaking moments when Emi Martinez showed his talent in goal to protect the result.
Aston Villa fans had a fantastic night. From the breathless moment when the Champions League anthem played for the first time at Villa Park, to the endless celebrations throughout the night. Moments like this don’t come often but now we want them to last for many more seasons.
Jhon Duran was truly a "crazy guy" after scoring against Bayern. It was his 5th goal of the season, all coming from the bench. Duran's speed, daring and technique made that historic goal. Outside the pitch, coach Unai Emery smiled with satisfaction because his calculations were right to the very moment.
After the match, when answering CBS Sport, Duran said he did not see clearly whether Neuer had stepped out of the penalty area or not. That shot came entirely from the Colombian star's scoring instinct.
"Duran really exploded, he is a super sub. With just the first touch, Duran defeated Neuer, one of the best goalkeepers in history. We knew Neuer was tall so we had planned a few countermeasures" - Emiliano Martinez shared.
"During the analysis of the match, we spent some time talking about Manuel Neuer's position. I talked to my assistants about how Duran finished because it was not ruled out that this could happen. Last season, he scored a similar goal against Hibernian. It was also a long pass from Pau Torres and at that moment, Duran looked towards the goal and finished" - Unai Emery shared.
Many Aston Villa players have shared that the tactical analysis sessions with Unai Emery are very long and sometimes tiring. However, the details that the Spanish coach passes on to the whole team are never redundant. As long as everyone is focused and has a high level of consensus, the results will come immediately. Duran's finishing is the reason why many Villas players love Emery so much. They just need to follow the captain's instructions, the possibility of success will come.
"Before the match starts, we have a tactical meeting, the whole team is very familiar with that. That's why Aston Villa won today. We analyze every player, every thing of the opponent very carefully" - Morgan Rogers shared.
"He is very strict, focused on everything and always knows what he needs to do. People often talk about this player or that player being very professional but I see Emery as well. He always comes very early and leaves very late" - Ollie Watkins shared.
After a stunning win over Bayern and a Premier League position that has been cemented, this could be Aston Villa's most exciting season of the open era. Stay tuned...
