Aston Villa hero steps up again but late VAR heartbreak denies famous Juventus win

There was much pomp and circumstance at Villa Park when Emi Martinez signed his new long-term contract this summer.

The club's megastore was commandeered, his family flown in and a variety of video footage played to an adoring holiday crowd invited to witness the event.

Last night he proved what all the fuss was about.

Goalkeepers, just like attackers, can have a decisive influence on football matches. And it showed as Martinez, who last month became the first ever to win the Lev Yashin Trophy twice in a row, undoubtedly propelled Villa's Champions League bandwagon.

After three consecutive victories in the competition, the handbrake was applied earlier this month during a controversial evening in Bruges.

But Villa has been sputtering ever since.

As they worked hard to break down a slick and well-organized Juventus team that always seemed capable of delivering a quicker attack, Martinez came to the fore, as he has done so many times before.

As the match entered the final quarter, Villa's number 1 proved his worth. Teun Koopmeiners shot in a right corner. It missed all the big men crowding the area, bounced and ended with Conceicao at the far post. The diminutive winger was just five yards away and did everything by the textbook. His header was shot downwards. But the Argentinian dived back to the right and managed to palm the ball away.

The replay caused a gasp from the sold-out crowd and goal-line technology showed he had prevented the ball entirely from crossing the line by millimeters.

Moments later the value of this almost became clear when Leon Bailey broke down the right and pulled the ball back for John McGinn to cross towards goal.

The Scot must have thought he had opened the scoring, but visiting skipper Manuel Locatelli was on hand to clear the ball. And yes, in the final reckoning there will be a lot of talk about the decision that Villa believes cost Villa victory.

But Diego Carlos' challenge on Juve's keeper Michele Di Gregorio, when Youri Tielemans pumped the ball late into the penalty area, did make contact before Morgan Rogers slid the ball into an unguarded net.

And these days that interference, no matter how small, is enough to rule out goals like Villa thought they had scored. It was a shame for Holte End and for Emery who is still looking for a win. It is now seven tries in all competitions.

But in reality this was a fair reflection of a tight game. The opening half was a cagey affair. It wasn't until eight minutes before the break that either goalkeeper was able to save.

Boubacar Kamara made a surprise start, feeding Lucas Digne into the space that Ollie Watkins found. Di Gregorio knocked his shot away.

At the other end of the pitch, the smallest player – Conceicao – carried the biggest threat. The winger operated during the break and was able to intervene, but he could not beat Martinez at his near post.

The half ended with the closest able to break the deadlock. Digne lifted a free-kick from 22 yards over the defensive wall, only to see it hit the top of the crossbar.

Neither team made much of an impression until Martinez stopped Conceicao – and Juve.