'Fantastic': Jamie Carragher says £18m Aston Villa man did something absolutely genius vs Bayern Munich
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Aston Villa recorded one of the best results in their recent history as they secured a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League at Villa Park.
After winning their first group-stage game 3-0 against BSC Young Boys, Unai Emery’s side made a massive statement in front of their own fans.
Ollie Watkins led the line for Aston Villa, but it was second-half substitute Jhon Duran who produced the match-winning moment as his audacious lobbed effort found its way into the back of the net past Manuel Neuer’s despairing dive.
Duran has been Emery’s X-factor this season and has taken fans and pundits by surprise with his outstanding displays.
And the Colombian striker was singled out for special praise by Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry as they analysed just how good his goal was against Bayern.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran lauded by Henry and Carragher
Speaking after the game, Carragher described Duran’s lob as a moment of genius as he settled the game with ten minutes left on the clock.
“As the ball comes forward, Upamecano is on the right and Kim is on the left but what a fantastic finish from Duran,” said Carragher live on CBS Sport.
“It's genius, absolutely fantastic.”
Read More:Aston Villa hero earns Manuel Neuer praise as Bayern Munich icon says he did 'very well'
Henry was also full of praise for the Colombian striker as he lauded his decision to strike the ball from distance after being played through on goal by Pau Torres.
He said: “I thought he was looking at the goalkeeper but he was honest enough to say he didn't even look at the keeper.
“He was just worried about how far Upamecano was to make sure he could protect the ball. He just knew where the ball was and hit it.”
Signed for £18m in January 2023, Duran has already emerged as a breakout star for Villa this season and looks set to play a key role in the coming weeks and months.
Duran’s stats vs Bayern Munich
Duran played just 20 minutes but made a telling contribution with his cameo as he scored a goal for the ages against one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern era in Neuer.
Read More:Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers left in awe of £18m Aston Villa player in 1-0 win over Bayern Munich
He won both his ground duels and had 13 touches of the ball as he troubled the Bayern backline with his pace and willingness to make runs into the box.
The 20-year-old earned himself a Sofascore rating of 7.5, with only Emiliano Martinez (8.9) and Pau Torres (8) earning higher ratings than him for Villa.
