Aston Villa rekindled memories of their famous 1982 European Cup triumph over Bayern Munich, as Jhon Duran’s late strike secured a 1-0 win against the German giants on Wednesday. In a night of high drama at Villa Park, the Colombian forward capitalized on a rare mistake by Manuel Neuer to snatch a memorable victory.

Villa’s second Champions League game in 41 years ended in triumph as Duran lobbed Neuer from distance, catching the German goalkeeper off his line in the 79th minute. Duran’s match-winning goal followed a long pass from Pau Torres, helping Villa maintain their perfect start in the tournament after a 3-0 win over Young Boys.

The atmosphere at Villa Park was electric, with over 40,000 fans—including Prince William—cheering Unai Emery’s men on. Villa’s rise under Emery has been remarkable, considering that just five years ago, they were struggling in the Championship. Now, they sit proudly on the European stage, competing against one of the continent’s most decorated clubs.

Bayern Munich came into the match undefeated and full of confidence, averaging over four goals per game in their first seven matches under new manager Vincent Kompany. They had thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in their opening Champions League game and were expected to dominate. Despite early pressure and a disallowed goal from Harry Kane, Bayern found it difficult to break down Villa’s organized defense.

Villa thought they had taken the lead in the first half when Pau Torres prodded home a loose ball from a set-piece. However, the goal was ruled out after Jacob Ramsey was flagged offside during the build-up. Bayern also came close through Michael Olise, but Villa’s goalkeeper Emi Martinez produced a superb save to keep the game level at halftime.

Kompany introduced Jamal Musiala at halftime, hoping to inject creativity into Bayern’s attack. Musiala had a chance to break the deadlock on the hour mark, but his shot was blocked by Torres. In the end, it was Villa’s substitute, Duran, who made the decisive impact.

Duran’s goal, his fifth as a substitute this season, gave Villa a lead they fiercely defended. Martinez, the hero of the 2022 World Cup, came to Villa’s rescue again in stoppage time with a brilliant save to deny Dayot Upamecano’s header, preserving Villa’s victory.

With this win, Villa continues to defy expectations, and their remarkable resurgence under Emery shows no sign of slowing down. The victory over Bayern Munich will be remembered as a defining moment in their return to Europe’s elite competition.