'Unreal': 40-year deja vu rocks Europe as PL dark horse topples ...
Aston Villa repeated their famous 1982 European Cup final win over Bayern Munich as Jhon Duran’s winner beat the German giants 1-0 on Thursday morning AEST.
The Colombian striker caught Manuel Neuer off his line 11 minutes from time to make it two wins from two games for Villa in their first experience of Champions League football for 41 years.
Bayern arrived at Villa Park unbeaten and in free-scoring form since Vincent Kompany took charge.
But the visitors were stifled by Unai Emery’s game plan and caught out when Duran latched onto Pau Torres’ long pass and fired over Neuer from long range.
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Prince William was among the over 40,000 Villa fans who inspired Emery’s men to shrug off the vast gulf in Champions League pedigree between the sides.
Just five years ago Villa were languishing in the second tier of English football, but they have enjoyed a meteoric rise since the Spaniard took charge under two years ago.
After a comfortable 3-0 win over Young Boys in Switzerland two weeks ago, the visit of the six-time European champions was the sort of glamour tie Villa fans had been relishing and it did not disappoint.
Harry Kane overcame an ankle injury that forced him off late on in Bayern’s 1-1 draw against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend.
Jhon Duran of Aston Villa. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesBayern had averaged over four goals a game in their opening seven matches under Kompany, including a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb to open their Champions League campaign.
They dominated the ball early on, but Kane’s header from an off-side position that was well saved by Emi Martinez was the closest they came to breaking through Emery’s well-organised defence.
Villa did have the ball in the net midway through the first half when Torres prodded in at the back post from a free-kick.
However, Jacob Ramsey had strayed off-side in the build up and Villa’s jubilant celebrations were cut short.
Michael Olise was another of Bayern’s stars making a return to England and the former Crystal Palace winger was only denied the opener before halftime by a stunning save from Martinez.
Kompany had surprisingly left Jamal Musiala on the bench but the German international was summoned to make an impact at halftime.
Musiala nearly wove a way through the Villa defence on the hour mark but his shot was blocked by Torres.
Instead, it was Villa’s own super sub that came on to win the game. Five of Duran’s six goals this season have come as a substitute. The 20-year-old showed his strength to hold off Dayot Upamecano and lift the ball over the stranded Neuer.
Villa still needed their own goalkeeper to make important interventions at the other end to seal a historic victory.
Musiala’s pass finally unlocked the home side’s defence but Serge Gnabry could not beat Martinez.
The Argentine then produced an even better save deep into stoppage time to turn Upamecano’s header to safety.
“It’s unreal to be fair,” Martinez told TNT Sports.
“This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club, that’s for sure, it was hurting my ears at some point. It’s a club that is moving forward. It’s the main reason why I stay in this football club. I love playing here, I love the fans, this is a win for them.”
Jhon Duran of Aston Villa. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesElsewhere, Arne Slot became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his opening nine matches as Mohamed Salah’s brilliant strike sealed a 2-0 victory against Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Slot has made a flying start to his reign after replacing Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s second successive victory in this season’s Champions League was another landmark moment for the Dutchman.
Alexis Mac Allister put Liverpool ahead in the first half at Anfield and Salah bagged his 49th Champions League goal in the closing stages.
Already sitting top of the Premier League six matches into the season, the understated Slot has deftly ensured Liverpool haven’t missed a beat since the end of Klopp’s successful reign.
Even Klopp, Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley were unable to muster as many wins at the start of their spells in charge of the Reds.
Liverpool began their European campaign with a 3-1 win against AC Milan and this was another confident display in Slot’s first taste of a Champions League evening at Anfield.
Slot, who managed in the Champions League with Feyenoord, said he wanted to create a “special night” and the history-making win surely lived up to that billing.
Klopp led Liverpool to the Champions League crown in 2019 and also reached the 2018 and 2022 finals, producing countless iconic moments in the process.
Slot’s assured start already has the six-time kings of Europe dreaming of another memorable Champions League campaign.
With one point following a goalless draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in their first Champions League match for 60 years, Bologna’s trip to Anfield was described as a dream come true by their sporting director Marco Di Vaio.
After coming fifth last season — their highest Serie A finish since 1971 — Bologna have won just once in the league this term, hampered by a lack of cutting edge following Joshua Zirkzee’s move to Manchester United.
They competed gamely but couldn’t find the finishing touch to produce a fairytale upset.
Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah celebrates. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFPSource: AFPLiverpool quickly seized the momentum and by the 11th minute they had the lead. Mac Allister had spoken this week of his pleasure at being given more freedom by Slot’s tactics than he enjoyed in Klopp’s more rigid system.
And the Argentine underlined the point as he started the move that led to Liverpool’s opener and finished it with a perfectly-timed run into the Bologna area to meet Salah’s cross with a close-range strike.
Mac Allister’s energetic burst from midfield also served as a rebuke to his teammates after his low ‘pace’ rating in the new EA FC video game became a source of amusement at the club’s training ground.
Dominik Szoboszlai should have doubled Liverpool’s advantage but the Hungarian fired just wide from Salah’s cross.
Back as Liverpool’s central striker after missing last weekend’s win at Wolves due to illness, Darwin Nunez couldn’t find the accuracy to beat Lukasz Skorupski after bearing down on the Bologna keeper.
Liverpool’s dominance suddenly drained away as Bologna awoke from their slumber and threatened a surprise equaliser.
Riccardo Orsolini’s goal-bound header was blocked by his own teammate before Dan Ndoye’s fierce drive smacked off the woodwork.
Pouncing on a mistake by Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kacper Urbanski’s strike forced a fine save from Alisson Becker.
Alisson had scramble across to keep out Orsolini’s free-kick early in the second half.
But Liverpool gradually regained control and Salah went close with a curler from the edge of the area.
Salah delivered the knockout blow in the 75th minute as the Egyptian scored for the sixth time this term.
He cut in from the right flank, glided past Juan Miranda with ease and curled a superb strike into the far corner from 18 yards.
Champions League Results
Shakhtar Donetsk 0 lost to Atalanta 3 (Djimsiti 21, Lookman 44, Bellanova 48)
Girona 2 (Lopez 19, Van de Beek 73) lost to Feyenoord 3 (Herrera 23-og, Milambo 33, Krejci 79-og)
Liverpool 2 (Mac Allister 11, Salah 75) defeated Bologna 0
RB Leipzig 2 (Sesko 30, 65-pen) lost to Juventus 3 (Vlahovic 50, 68, Conceicao 83)
Benfica 4 (Akturkoglu 13, Di Maria 52-pen, Bah 75, Kokcu 84-pen) defeated Atletico Madrid 0
Dinamo Zagreb 2 (Sucic 45+3, Baturina 66) drew with Monaco 2 (Salisu 74, Zakaria 90-pen)
Lille 1 (David 45+3-pen) defeated Real Madrid 0
Aston Villa 1 (Duran 79) defeated Bayern Munich 0
Sturm Graz 0 lost to Club Brugge 1 (Tzolis 23)
