Leipzig, Dec 11 Jhon Duran, the leading substitute goal scorer in Europe, once again rose to the occasion as he scored Aston Villa’s second goal in their 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (IST).
Having been brought on the pitch due to a small injury to Ollie Watkins, Duran suggested despite not getting regular minutes, he loves the competition with the Englishman.
"We worked hard as a team, and that is my job to score. The main thing was the win and the three points away from home. I'm just happy to be here and I actually love the competition with Ollie Watkins. When it’s my turn I'll step up and hopefully I can score and help the team,” Duran told Amazon Prime after the match.
Head coach Unai Emery was full of praise for his Villa team as the victory puts them firmly in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages. The Villa manager was particularly pleased with how his side executed their game plan and battled through adversity to secure all three points in Germany.
The match saw Villa take the lead twice, first through John McGinn and then via Jhon Duran, before Leipzig fought back on both occasions to level the score. With the game poised at 2-2 in the dying minutes, Ross Barkley came off the bench to score the decisive goal, ensuring Villa's fourth win in six group-stage games.
With 13 points now on the board, Villa are in a strong position in Group E, and Emery is focused on keeping expectations balanced despite the impressive performance. “We have 13 points now and we have to be happy, but we have to keep balance. In this competition we are now in the top 24, maybe in the top 16, but we have the opportunity with winning today to play for the top eight positions. We will work for it,” said Emery in the post game conference.
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