Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran staked yet another claim for a regular spot in the starting lineup after coming off the bench a half-time to score a wonderful goal in Aston Villa's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Duran scored his sixth goal of the season from the bench in all competitions – and 10th overall – with a long-range effort that flew over goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

The Colombian has scored more goals than any other player in Europe's top five leagues this season after coming off the bench and manager Unai Emery acknowledged that it can be hard to keep him happy when not in the XI.

"Of course, sometimes he is very impassioned and we have to try and keep balance with him," he said

"But today he played fantastic. He scored one goal, scored a second goal that was offside. He worked, and we are trying to get the team strong with a tactical approach.

"His potential is massive. Tactically he is improving and today he played a fantastic 45 minutes."

With England international Ollie Watkins Duran's direct competition for a spot in the team, competition is fierce. It is something that Duran suggested he really enjoys.

"I am just happy to be here and love the competition with Ollie Watkins," he said. "When it is my turn hopefully I can step up and help the team."

The Colombian turns 21 on Friday, one day before Aston Villa's trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

"I am definitely not going out to celebrate my birthday because my aim is to score on Saturday to celebrate," he laughed.

Aston Villa's victory in Leipzig put them third in the Champions League table ahead of Wednesday night's matches, with two games remaining.

They need just one win over Monaco or Celtic to secure a top-eight spot and advance directly to the round of 16.