Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has addressed Jhon Duran’s frustrated reaction following his substitution during their 2-0 victory over Bologna in the Champions League. Villa were aiming to secure their third consecutive win in the competition, and despite several changes to the lineup, they delivered another solid performance.
John McGinn opened the scoring in the 56th minute with a wide free kick that found its way into the net. Duran, who has been in prolific form this season, then doubled Villa’s lead, finishing a well-timed pass from Morgan Rogers to score his seventh goal of the campaign.
Despite his impressive contribution, Duran reacted angrily when he was substituted for Ollie Watkins shortly after scoring. Emery, however, chose not to reprimand the 20-year-old, interpreting his reaction as a sign of his hunger for more goals and success. Emery told TNT Sports that Duran “did very good work,” adding that the player’s frustration was merely because “he was thinking he could score more goals.”
Implications for Villa
Villa’s win leaves them as the only team to have won all three of their opening Champions League matches. With 9 points, they are in a commanding position to secure a top-24 finish, which would likely guarantee progression to the next stage. Villa’s next European challenge comes against Club Brugge, a team sitting on three points, having won narrowly against Sturm Graz while suffering defeats to Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.
