Emiliano Martinez’s 96th minute save from a Harry Kane header completed Aston Villa’s upset 1-0 win over Bayern Munich. (REUTERS)
There was a nervous energy reverberating around Villa Park when on the 96th minute Bayern Munich put the ball into the Aston Villa box with Harry Kane roaming around the goal like a hungry predator. Joshua Kimmich lobbed the ball straight on to the England captain’s head and Kane cushioned the ball towards the Villa goal, a strike that was destined to break the Villans’ hearts but custodian Emiliano Martinez decided to intervene.
Flying through the air, the Argentine World Cup winner slapped the ball away from goal and handed Villa a famous victory over Bayern Munich, bringing back memories from 42 years ago when in 1982 the English side had put down the Bavarians 1-0 in the then European Cup.
Even though after Wednesday’s victory, the newspaper headlines will be splashed with the name of the lone goalscorer of the match, 20-year-old Colombian striker Jhon Durán, Martinez’s contributions with the gloves can’t be understated. An elite goalie who is a bit of an anomaly, playing for a not-so fancied side in the Premier League even after winning a World Cup with his country, Dibu as he is affectionately called, flies under the radar during the club seasons. But the performance against Bayern will likely change that.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Aston Villa v Bayern Munich – Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain – October 2, 2024 Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez makes a save from Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
A controversial figure whenever he puts on the La Albiceleste jersey, Martinez wears his emotions on his sleeves and was recently suspended for 2 games for Argentina for holding a replica of the Copa América trophy to his groin area after their win against Chile back in September 5. This ‘celebration’ was a throwback to the gesture he had made in 2022 after winning the World Cup in Qatar which also courted a lot of backlash. Even though he apologized for his actions, he will now have to sit out Argentina’s 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Venezuela and Bolivia.
🚨 Emi Martinez’s amazing saves today against Bayern pic.twitter.com/Nfi7uDrIeB
— KinG £ (@xKGx__) October 2, 2024
Surprisingly, the Martinez that turns up for Villa is the polar opposite. He looks calm and composed, not allowing his emotions to get the better of him. Except for one instance back in 2021 when he taunted Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo over a spot kick. Ultimately, Bruno Fernandes would take the penalty but missed and Martinez went on to celebrate wildly in front of the United supporters. This was the only time when Mr Hyde had slipped through the façade of Mr Jekyll during Dibu’s Aston Villa career.
On Wednesday, the Argentine would drag Villa back on to the elite level when he made at least 5 saves to keep the English team in the game. In addition to the late Kane save, in the 91st minute, the Argentine had made another point blank save with his chest off a toe poke by Serge Gnabry, harking back to the 2022 World Cup final when he had foiled France’s Kolo Muani.
Emiliano Martínez 🧤⛔
Unreal performance 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/NoBQFSnh5g
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 2, 2024
Shielding his goal like a wall, Martinez has won the World Cup, 2 Copa Americas and a Golden Gloves trophy, completing football in the international colours but has had a subpar career when it comes to club level. Playing in the fringes in Arsenal, he couldn’t quite make it as a first team regular despite giving stellar performances, helping the Gunners win FA Cup in 2020.
He would transfer to Aston Villa in the same year and has been their regular No.1 since then. As Villa went from strength to strength, Martinez’s stature kept on growing, evolving into the elite player we see before us today. Can he help Villa do the unthinkable this season in Europe or the league and add another feather in an already decorated cap? Only time will tell.
