Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (agg. 4-5): Parisiens avoid humbling remontada and scrape through to Champions League semis
PLAYER RATINGS | Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (agg. 4-5): Parisiens avoid humbling remontada and scrape through to Champions League semis
UEFA Champions League, Quarter-final, 15/04/25
Paris Saint-Germain scraped through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, despite a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa as Unai Emery almost avenged Luis Enrique's 2017 remontada and overturned what at one point was a four-goal deficit (3-2, agg. 4-5).
The Match
It was a frantic start as Aston Villa looked to halve the deficit. Amadou Onana went close within the opening seconds with a well-saved flicked header as the home side looked to surf off the energy of the crowd. But PSG weathered the bried storm and silenced Villa Park. Nuno Mendes played Bradley Barcola down the left. His cross did not find Ousmane Dembélé but did Emiliano Martinez, however, the Argentine could not gather, instead parrying into the path of Achraf Hakimi, who provided the finish.
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Aston Villa had their chances: Marcus Rashford had two sights of goal but was cut out by Marquinhos on both occasions, whilst Morgan Rogers curled just wide. However, the next goal would also come courtesy of Les Parisiens. It was another full-back on the scoresheet as Dembélé found Nuno Mendes in the box after a lightning counter. The Portugal international's effort clipped off the inside of the post on its way in.
'We are ready to suffer,' said Luis Enrique pre-match but PSG looked like winning this one at a canter and booking their place in the semi-finals for a second consecutive year. However, Youri Tielemans' deflected effort just before the half-hour mark sparked the revolt.
There was another barrage at the start of the second-half as Aston Villa entered now-or-never territory. PSG simply sat off John McGinn, allowing him to work his way into a shooting position and unleashing an effort from the edge of the box that left Donnarumma rooted to the spot. Two minutes later, Ezri Konsa gave Villa the lead on the night after some good work from Rashford, who had a muted first-half, burst into life.
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Donnarumma then kept Les Parisiens' aggregate lead intact with a big save from Tielemans. Against the club that he is under contract, Marco Asensio was the next to almost level the tie but he was denied by Donnarumma after being put in one-on-one before Konsa then fluffed his free header from close-range, barely making any contact with Rashford's curled free-kick.
But thereafter, the chances dried up. PSG sat deeper and deeper and Aston Villa struggled to break through. Instead, the best chances fell to PSG but Martínez was equal to efforts from Dembélé, Hakimi and then Doué. Ian Maatsen had the final chance to take the game to extra time, however, Pacho, who himself had a rare off night, made the crucial block. PSG did not convince but they did progress. The essential was assured and the remontada avoided.
Aston Villa player ratings
Emiliano Martínez – 6
At fault for PSG's first goal, parrying to Hakimi instead of collecting the ball, he redeemed himself in the second half, making a string of saves from PSG's forwards with the game at 3-2. They were saves that you would have expected him to make, however, they did allow Villa to keep the chance of an upset alive.
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Lucas Digne – 6
Pau Torres – 7
Exposed by PSG's quick transitions with the visitors working numerical advantages on several occasions, he put in a strong and commanding performance at the centre of defence and his long-range distribution was invaluable and, at times, split open the PSG defence.
Ezri Konsa – 7
Matty Cash – 4
Youri Tielemans – 8
Boubacar Kamara – 6
Amadou Onana – 5
John McGinn – 7
Morgan Rogers – 7
Marcus Rashford – 6
The Englishman was a phantom in the first half, losing his duels against Marquinos. By half-time, the crowd were on his back but he responded in the second, making dangerous runs in behind, wriggling to the byline to cut back for Konsa for Villa's third and also putting the ball on a plate for Konsa to level the tie on aggregate.
PSG player ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 8
Once again, the Italian was called upon and once again he delivered. There was little that he could have done on the three goals but he made big saves from Rashford, Tielemans and then Asensio to keep PSG's slender lead on aggregate intact.
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Nuno Mendes – 6
Willian Pacho – 4
Marquinhos – 6
Achraf Hakimi – 6
Vitinha – 6
João Neves – 4
Fabián Ruiz – 6
Khivcha Kvaratskhelia – 3
Undoubtedly the Georgian's worst appearance since joining PSG. He was stiffled by the Villa defence and was imprecise with his end product when he did get on the ball.
Ousmane Dembélé – 4
This was more like the Dembélé of years gone by. He did well to spot and tee up Mendes for PSG's second but thereafter was very wasteful, spurning a couple of chances and proving less incisive than he has previously been.
Bradley Barcola – 5
GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Villa Park
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