From the moment Emiliano Martínez was booked for time-wasting 39 minutes into this tempestuous Europa Conference League knockout tie, there was an air of inevitably that the Aston Villa goalkeeper would prove to be the hero. So it proved, with Martínez saving penalties from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin André in a shootout after Matty Cash’s late strike prevented Lille advancing and took the game to extra time.
That, however, is only half of the story. Martínez seemed intent on being the pantomime villain, his every touch jeered from the off, was cautioned again by the referee, Ivan Kruzliak, during the spot-kicks after being warned for gamesmanship – another dollop of shithousery, you could say – but avoided being sent off, leaving Villa without a goalkeeper, because cautions are not carried forward into penalties.
