Unai Emery
Unai Emery, the head coach of Aston Villa, shared key strategies employed in their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, focusing on exploiting specific tendencies of Bayern’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer. Notably, Neuer is known for playing outside his box, a trait that Villa aimed to take advantage of during the match. This strategic insight materialized when Jhon Duran, coming off the bench, scored the decisive goal. Pau Torres contributed to this success with an assist, delivering a well-timed ball to Duran, who skillfully lobbed Neuer to secure the win.
Emery highlighted the tactical analysis that underpinned this success, emphasizing Neuer’s positioning as a crucial element to exploit. Throughout the match, Aston Villa’s defense was robust against Bayern’s relentless attacks, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez making pivotal saves against players like Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane. Emery praised his team’s performance, citing their growth and determination as key factors in securing the victory.
Unai Emery on the tactical preparation and Jhon Duran
“This is the talent that they have, some players like Jhon Duran, we were speaking about it. When Jhon Duran received the ball, he was scoring quick because of the analysis we did of them. We were speaking a lot about how it’s usually the position of Neuer, always high. Really, I spoke with my coaches about how he [Duran] shoots because he had in his mind this possibility about Neuer.”
Unai Emery on the team’s overall performance and objectives
“Before the match, for me it was not the most important to win. We needed to get some duels strongly and improving, for example with Konsa. Lucas he is always doing. We needed to get opportunities to get in their box. I can feel now proud of our work and proud how we are here getting better, increasing our level and increasing demands. We could have won or lost today, it depends on the saves from Emi Martinez or the goal from Jhon Duran. I am very proud of everything around Aston Villa.”
Aston Villa’s tactical acumen and execution led them to a commendable victory over Bayern Munich, demonstrating their ability to capitalize on meticulous preparation and resilience in high-pressure situations.
