Marco Bizot gave Aston Villa another reason to feel comfortable about their goalkeeping depth during Friday’s 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich.
The Marco Bizot Aston Villa performance was one of the positives from a difficult afternoon in Hong Kong, particularly after another summer of uncertainty surrounding Emiliano Martinez.
Bayern controlled long periods against Unai Emery’s side, with Kim Min-jae and Luis Diaz scoring before João Gomes pulled one back late on.
Villa could easily have found themselves further behind.
ReadAstonVilla’s player ratings highlighted Bizot’s excellent double save during Bayern’s strongest spell, while the Dutchman produced several other interventions to keep Emery’s side within touching distance.
His performance will not change the hierarchy at Villa Park overnight.
It does, however, offer Emery useful reassurance behind his established number one.
Marco Bizot Aston Villa performance underlines his value
Bizot faced sustained pressure against the German champions.
He was beaten by Kim’s close-range header before Diaz struck Bayern’s second, but the scoreline could have been more damaging without Villa’s goalkeeper.
Bavarian Football Works even selected Bizot as Villa’s standout performer, highlighting a sequence of saves during a game in which Bayern spent much of the afternoon on the front foot.
For a second-choice goalkeeper, those are valuable minutes.
Bizot does not need to displace Martinez to justify his importance. Villa need somebody Emery can trust when injuries, suspension or fixture congestion require a change.
The Champions League will increase those demands again this season.
Martinez future looks clearer but Villa still need depth
The timing of Bizot’s display is also interesting because Martinez’s position has been under scrutiny throughout the summer.
Juventus explored a deal for the Argentina international, raising the possibility that Villa could need to make a significant decision over their goalkeeper.
That situation has recently become far more reassuring.
The 33-year-old therefore appears increasingly likely to remain Emery’s first choice.
Bizot’s Bayern performance should not be viewed as evidence that Villa could comfortably sell Martinez and simply promote his deputy. Martinez remains one of the squad’s most influential players and has repeatedly delivered in major matches.
Instead, Friday provided evidence that Villa have a credible alternative behind him.
Emery has one less concern before PSG
Villa now turn their attention towards Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.
Emery has bigger questions to answer before that game, particularly after Bayern found sustained periods of control in Hong Kong.
Goalkeeper depth looks less concerning.
Aston Villa’s official match report reflected how frequently Bayern threatened before Villa mounted their late response through Gomes and Tammy Abraham.
Bizot played an important part in keeping that late comeback possible.
Martinez should remain the clear first choice if, as expected, he stays at Villa Park. But having an experienced goalkeeper capable of surviving difficult spells against opposition of Bayern’s quality is exactly what Villa require behind him.
The Marco Bizot Aston Villa performance in Hong Kong offered a timely reminder that Emery has more security in goal than the summer transfer speculation may have suggested.
