In a key match in the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinals that ended in the early morning of April 19, Beijing time, Aston Villa drew with Ligue 1 powerhouse Lille in regular time. And later in the penalty shoot-out, the 31-year-old Argentine goalkeeper Martín made another miracle, he saved two penalties, once again becoming a nightmare for French fans.
In last weekend's Premier League game, Martin played bravely, repeatedly saving the must-score goals of his old club Arsenal, and the Gunners overturned 0-2 at home. In the second leg of the 1/4 final of the UEFA Europa League, Big Martin once again became the focus.
Although Lille took advantage of the home advantage after the opening kick-off, scoring two goals in the 15th and 67th minutes to make the aggregate score 3-2 at one point, Cash chased the aggregate score to 3-3 for Villa in the 87th minute.
After extra-time with no goals for either side, the game was forced into a brutal penalty shoot-out. And Big Martin once again became the "savior" of the team. Due to the feud between Argentina and France in the World Cup final, the French fans at home booed madly at Big Martin in the penalty shootout, but the Argentine goalkeeper with a "big heart" was calm. In the first and fifth rounds, he saved a high-quality penalty from a Lille player.
In the end, Villa eliminated Lille 7-6 on aggregate and advanced to the top four. It is worth noting that Martin has won all of his last five penalty shootouts, which once again shows that the Argentine goalkeeper is indeed worthy of the "saving expert". After the game, Villa's official tweet praised Big Martin for the first time: "The ancient Greek god in charge of penalty kicks!"
Because Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham United are out of the Champions League and Europa League respectively, Villa, who relies on Martin's brave play, has become the "only seedling" of the Premier League in Europe. If Villa want to go further in the Europa League, they may have to continue to rely on Martin's courageous performance.