The Spanish coach, Unai Emery, disappointed a star player with a bold adjustment in the match where Aston Villa defeated Bayern Munich in the qualifying round of the Champions League 2024/25.
In the recent clash between Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, Emery made a decision described by the media as “ruthless” due to his decisive and cold approach to substitutions.
Specifically, in the 33rd minute, Emery brought on Leon Bailey to replace Jacob Ramsey, who was injured. Emery hoped the 27-year-old player could create the spark he was known for.
However, contrary to expectations, Bailey had a lackluster performance during his time on the pitch. From the irritated expression of the former Bayer Leverkusen star, it could be inferred that he was quite surprised by this decision. Nonetheless, Emery was certainly justified in making this substitution.
Statistics show that Bailey had only 1 successful duel, 6 accurate passes, and 2 recoveries in over half an hour on the field.
The former Arsenal manager also made an important personnel decision by substituting Ollie Watkins in the 79th minute and giving Jhon Duran a chance. This change ultimately helped Aston Villa secure 3 points against the strong opponent, Bayern Munich.
This result keeps Aston Villa with a perfect record in both qualifying matches for the Champions League, rising to 2nd place in the standings. Meanwhile, Bayern now has one win and one loss, currently sitting in 15th place.