About 15 minutes before that game, Emiliano Martínez was brought onto the pitch to acknowledge the Argentine becoming the first goalkeeper to win the Yashin Trophy twice. Then, about an hour later, Martínez clearly showed why he is so highly regarded, without the Aston Villa fans needing any reminder. Martínez’s fantastic, impulsive save from Francisco Conceição midway through the second half denied Juventus the chance to take the lead. Goal-line technology showed that Martínez kept the ball out by a few millimeters, leaving a sliver of the starry Champions League ball on, rather than above, the Villa goal line.

Juventus, a regular player on this stage compared to Villa, probably got the point they deserved. Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli stuck out a left foot to stop John McGinn converting a Leon Bailey putback and in the first half Lucas Digne hit the crossbar with a free-kick from the edge of the box. A draw against the Serie A side will certainly be seen as credible for Villa, but Unai Emery’s side are now winless in seven games. The last time Villa went seven games without a win was under Dean Smith four years ago, when they – narrowly – avoided relegation when McGinn and Ezri Konsa, an unused substitute, started.

Emery has not gone seven games without a win since being released by Arsenal in November 2019, a home defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt when Martínez replaced Emery in goal was the final straw. At the end of last season, Emery went six games without a win when qualification for this competition was already confirmed. There is no need to panic for Villa, but their difficult run could well be extended to eight games before they return home from Chelsea on Sunday.

On the eve of that game, Juventus coach Thiago Motta accused Unai Emery of bluffing after his Villa colleague, who was Motta’s coach at the end of his career at Paris Saint-Germain, suggested he would be happy with a point. Motta insisted it was a poker face on Emery’s part and perhaps because Juventus had come here with so few numbers. Juventus traveled to England with a 17-man squad, without Dusan Vlahovic, their star striker. Douglas Luiz, who has struggled since moving from Birmingham to Turin, was missing from the team lineup due to a muscle injury. The Serie A club named six substitutes, two of whom were goalkeepers. Villa, meanwhile, welcomed Boubacar Kamara into the base of midfield and Emery pushed John McGinn forward into a role behind Ollie Watkins. Morgan Rogers played on the left side.

In his program notes there was Emery’s familiar exclamation at the prospect of another memorable night against a European superpower, even if their reputation has waned ever so slightly in recent years. Despite Juventus’ rich and storied past, Emery was adamant that Villa needed to improve a lot to get anything out of the game. Leon Bailey got off to a quick start, cutting down the right flank and firing a shot on goal, but the game was plodding for most of the first half for most of the 46 minutes. Villa’s disappointment was evident the moment Youri Tielemans, who had received an early yellow card, had to hop on the spot after the alert Federico Gatti cut the line to Watkins in the Juventus defense.

Until Watkins registered the first shot on goal and turned in the penalty area after seamlessly following up on Kamara’s cannon shot. Watkins turned cleverly and shot his left foot out of his shoelaces towards goal, forcing Juventus goalkeeper Di Gregorio into a fine save. From the remnants of the resulting corner, Matty Cash saw a sharp attempt blocked. Lucas Digne hit a free-kick onto the crossbar after Pierre Kalulu, who received a yellow card, was eventually cautioned by the referee for tackling Watkins. At the other end, Francisco Conceição shot down the right wing before firing a weak shot at the near post, allowing Martínez to line up comfortably.

Conceição was busy and proving difficult to deal with, his cross a few minutes into the second half sparking a handball call against Pau Torres. Juventus rushed in packs. Khéphren Thuram sent a shot wide after Teun Koopmeiners moved the ball upfield after picking up a loose pass from Bailey, who was almost penalized for keeping the ball on the wire on the opposite line. Juventus’ big chance was missed in the 65th minute. Koopmeiners’ corner whizzed towards the back post, Conceição evaded Rogers and headed unchallenged into the goal. For a split second the Portuguese seemed to be heading away in celebration before realizing that Martínez had somehow stopped his header from going over the line. The goalkeeper lunged to his right to block the ball with his right glove. Goal-line technology showed he had done just enough. Villa supporters chanted Martínez’s name in unison.

Three minutes of second-half stoppage time had passed when Morgan Rogers thought he had clinched the win with the final shot. Teun Koopmeiners conceded a cheap foul halfway through, giving Villa one last chance to pump the ball into the penalty area. Diego Carlos rose to challenge Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and chase the high ball, but it ran free and Rogers simply hooked the ball into the empty net. A VAR review appears to have penalized Villa’s centre-back. As Carlos walked through the tunnel, he glared at Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano.