Executioner of the France team during this famous penalty shootout in the final of the 2022 World Cup, Emiliano Martinez did it again, confirming his know-how in the matter.
With two decisive saves on the attempts of Bentaleb and André. Also with his way of getting into the heads of the shooters through his facial expressions, his actions, his gestures, which allowed him to write a little more history. His personal legend since he received a second warning which was finally withdrawn amid total incomprehension and confusion.
By sprinting towards his goalkeeper to thank him, Youri Tielemans, who had scored his shot on goal, made no mistake. The Argentinian was the only Villa player to rise to the occasion. Because like the Devil, Unay Emery's men lacked everything.
To his advantage in the first leg where he had reigned in the midfield, the former Anderlectois, associated with the recovery of Douglas Luiz was targeted, seeing Haraldsson coming to harass him. A sign that he was feared.
As a result, the midfielder was only too rarely able to direct the play, waiting until the 36th minute to express his quality of foot with this cross towards Digne. And, like everyone else, he suffered in the impacts.
With in particular this loss of the ball in front of his area on a technical error which is unlike him and which could have been very costly (46th). Before seeing his responsibility committed on the second Lille goal.
If entrusting him with responsibility for marking Benjamin André, who had already shown himself to be dangerous twice with a header in the first half, was not necessarily the idea of ​​the century, the Devil was too easily trapped by the opposing blocks leaving the Lille captain to double the lead (68th) echoing Yazici's beautiful recovery (15th).
And it took this poorly controlled exit from Chevalier to allow Villa to restart with this goal from nowhere from Cash (87th). Prelude to the Martinez show.
