Jhon Duran's winner for Aston Villa against Bayern Munich was the stuff of legends, as the Premier League underdogs generated one of the more shocking upsets of the new Champions League era.
Having kept a lid on Bayern's historically potent attacking unit for most of the match, thanks in part to the goalkeeping heroics of Emi Martinez earlier in the game, Duran came off the bench to score an 81st-minute goal which electrified Villa Park and secured all three points for the home side.
It was a stunning strike from a long way out as the Colombian forward caught goalkeeper Manuel Neuer miles off his line and looped the ball over the helpless German into the net.
Yet according to head coach Unai Emery, it was born of some seriously inspirational preparation by the English club. Emery told reporters after the match that they wanted to punish Neuer's famous tendency to play as a sweeper keeper, and Duran's goal proved they were right in doing so.
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Emery reveals Duran plan as Villa claim upset
"When Jhon Duran received the ball, he was scoring quick because of the analysis we did of them," Emery told the media after the match. "In the analysis, we were speaking about the positioning of Neuer — always high. I spoke to my assistant coaches about how he [Duran] shoots, because he had in his mind this possibility."
The strategy worked. Since Emery drilled into his his team about Neuer's style of play and how to beat it, Duran said there was no actual thought once the magical moment arrived.
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Speaking to Thierry Henry on CBS Sports coverage in the United States, with the Arsenal legend translating from Spanish, Duran confirmed he went off pure instinct on the strike. "I never saw the goalkeeper off his line, I knew where the goal was and I just hit it."
"It looks as if you see it!" Henry replies incredulously. But sure enough, one watch of the replay confirms his story, as Duran is looking straight down at the ball the whole time. "Upamecano is huge, so I put a hand out to see where he was," Duran followed up to Henry, this time translated by host Kate Scott. From there, it was nothing but muscle memory for Duran.
The moment was nothing short of magical for the home supporters, who blew the top off Villa Park. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez told Guillem Balague of CBS Sports coverage after the match that it was the most raucous he's ever experienced the ground since joining the club. "The fans from Aston Villa, we are probably the biggest club in the Midlands, we're trying to finish top four or five [in the Premier League], and it shows that we are moving forward as a club.
"Today was probably the loudest at Villa Park that I've heard since I joined the club, and we want that."
