On Wednesday evening, Aston Villa handed Bayern Munich their first defeat of the campaign with a 1-0 victory at Villa Park on matchday two of the Champions League.
While Der Rekordmeister would see themselves dominating the ball for the majority of the game, they were unable to test Emiliano Martínez in goal until it was far too late.
After the final whistle, Vincent Kompany explained that he believed that Bayern’s high ball possession in Villa’s half handed his side control over the tie.
However, for Unai Emery and Villa, this was exactly what they were hoping to face over the course of the game.
With Ollie Watkins and then Jhon Durán upfront, the Premier League outfit always appeared a threat on the counter-attack while looking comfortable, preventing the record champions from ascending on goal.
And for as long as they were a threat, there was always the danger they would catch Bayern off guard, and more specifically, as revealed by Emery after the game, catch Manuel Neuer off guard.
“During the analysis, we talked a lot about Neuer’s usually very high positioning. I knew he would shoot because he had this possibility in mind with Neuer.”
The Colombian’s remarkable finish was heavily analysed by pundits, but it is clear to see that it was planned all along, with Emery understanding every detail of how Bayern would play not just as a team but as individuals.
While Kompany has enjoyed a positive start to life in charge at the Allianz Arena, in the future, there will be an expectation upon the Belgian that he can show the tactical nouse of a head coach like Emery to come out on top of the club’s more challenging games.
GGFN | Will Shopland
