Days after being suspended Emi Martinez has Prince William celebrating in the Champions League
Britain's Prince William, second left in back row, reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Credit: AP/Rui Vieira
Days after being suspended by FIFA, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced heroics in front of the watching Prince William as Aston Villa sealed another famous win against Bayern Munich.
The Prince of Wales was among the ecstatic crowd at Villa Park to watch his beloved soccer team win 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Substitute Jhon Duran struck a 79th-minute winner, but two brilliant late saves from Martinez held off a fightback from six-time European champion Bayern to leave William celebrating.
“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," said Martinez, who was suspended last week by FIFA for two upcoming international matches because of unspecified incidents in Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.
"I love playing here. I love the fans. This is a win for them.”
Martinez denied Serge Gnabry in a one-on-one in stoppage time and then acrobatically kept out Harry Kane's header.
Villa's win came more than 42 years after beating Bayern 1-0 to lift the European Cup in 1982, the same year William was born.
Bayern's Michael Olise, left, duels for the ball with Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. Credit: AP/Rui Vieira
This was only the second time the teams had met.
It was also Villa's first home game in European soccer's elite competition since losing to Juventus as defending champion in the quarterfinals in 1983.
William, who is a lifelong Villa fan, met members of the European Cup winning team and posed for pictures before the match.
“42 years on, our 1982 European Cup winning legends are here on an historic night,” he wrote on X. “Ready for the first game on home turf in this year’s European adventure...”
Britain's Prince William smiles during his visit to RAF Northolt, England, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Credit: AP/Aaron Chown
William, who is also patron of the English Football Association, sat in an executive box, dressed casually in a dark blue button-up coat over a maroon sweater and blue shirt — Villa's colors.
He was seen hugging another fan sat with him as the home crowd savored its latest triumph over German giant Bayern.
He also was up and cheering in the first half when Pau Torres appeared to have fired Villa into a 23rd-minute lead only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for offside.
There was no reprieve for Bayern when Duran struck to continue his remarkable scoring record this season.
Coming on in the 70th, he lashed in a first time shot from around 25 yards to beat Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer.
It was the Colombian forward's sixth goal in nine games this season, having come on as a substitute in eight of them.
Villa now has back-to-back wins in the revamped Champions League.
Defeat for Bayern was its first under manager Vincent Kompany, who took over in the offseason.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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