'He won the shootout before the first taker went forward'
Emiliano Martinez's penalty-saving prowess was "already in the Lille players' minds' before the French club lost to Aston Villa in their Europa Conference League quarter-final shootout on Thursday, said French football journalist Julien Laurens.
Goalkeeper Martinez, who starred in Argentina's World Cup final shootout victory over France in December 2022, saved two spot-kicks to send Villa through to a last-four tie against Greek side Olympiakos.
Laurens told the BBC's Football Daily podcast: "I think he's won the penalty shootout before the first penalty taker went forward anyway.
"He's already into the Lille players' minds because they all remember what happened at the World Cup. Villa had won the penalty shootout before the first penalty was even shot."
Matty Cash's late goal took the tie to extra time, before Martinez took centre stage in the shootout to send Villa into a major European semi-final for the first time since 1982.
Laurens added: "It hasn't been easy for them. [On Thursday] they were outplayed I thought for pretty much the whole game, but they scored a goal that took them to extra time and then Martinez did the job - that's football.
"For Villa, the adventure continues. I don't know if they can go in the two competitions - in the league to finish in the top four and also this incredible run in Europe - but at the moment they're still there, so well done to them."
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