This was a night that guaranteed a sense of mystique regardless of result despite welldocumented prices it was the hottest ticket in town and as the Champions League anthem filled the Villa Park air for the first time, the home support seemed to open their ears to drink it all in - but few anticipated Unai Emery's side dispatching the Bundesliga giants in such style. Durán is building quite the showreel. Pau Torres had a first-half goal disallowed for offside but Durán stepped off the bench to earn Villa victory, prompting Prince William off his feet to cheer from the stands, and maintain their 100% start to this competition. After 41 years away, they seem intent on making up for lost time.
This was the second meeting between these sides, the first a notable one-of the same scoreline - in the 1982 European Cup final. Fittingly, pre-match the stadium speakers blared Texas's Rotterdam, a notso-subtle nod to Villa's triumph, remembered so fondly in these parts.
Monchi, Villa's president of football operations, and Damian Vidagany, the director of football, spent Tuesday evening rolling back the years with many of the squad from '82, including the captain Dennis Mortimer. To christen Villa's return to the European top table a new mural featuring Peter Withe, the late Gary Shaw and Emery was painted on an end-of-terrace house at St Peters Court, off Holte Road, which flanks the Trinity Road Stand.
Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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