Aston Villa 3 – 2 Paris Saint-Germain
2nd Leg – Paris Saint-Germain Advance 5-4 on Aggregate
Despite winning at home, Aston Villa were left with a sense of disappointment.
After losing the first leg, Aston Villa conceded two more goals within the first 30 minutes of the second leg at home, making the aggregate score a four-goal difference. However, from the brink of elimination, they put up an impressive fight. Villa scored three times before and after halftime, giving PSG a real scare. They maintained strong pressure throughout the match but couldn’t quite close the gap. Despite the loss in this dramatic match, PSG secured their spot in the Champions League semi-finals.
At Villa Park on Tuesday, Aston Villa won 3–2 in the return leg, but the aggregate score of 5–4 saw PSG advance. PSG had won the first leg 3–1.
PSG took control with goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. Villa began to battle back as Yuri Tielemans pulled one back, followed by goals from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa early in the second half, briefly giving them hope. However, Villa wasted several clear opportunities, and Unai Emery’s side couldn’t turn their dream into reality.
Villa came out strong from the start, desperate to overturn the deficit. They won two corners in the first two minutes, but PSG capitalized on a counter-attack in the 11th minute. The goal came thanks to a mistake from Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who hesitated on whether to rush out, allowing Hakimi to pounce on a loose ball and score.
Villa’s first shot on target came in the 19th minute, but Gianluigi Donnarumma had no trouble saving Pau Torres’ difficult attempt from a tight angle.
In the 27th minute, Villa were further behind. A pass from Ousmane Dembélé found Mendes in space, and his low shot made the scoreline 5–1 on aggregate.
However, PSG’s momentum was briefly halted in the 34th minute when Villa pulled one back. Tielemans hit a powerful shot from the left side of the box, which deflected off Willian Pacho and into the net, giving Villa hope.
In the second half, Villa wasted a golden opportunity when Marcus Rashford shot weakly at Donnarumma after a loose ball in the six-yard box.
Then, Villa made things interesting with two quick goals in the 55th and 57th minutes. McGinn scored from outside the box, and Konsa put Villa ahead with a low shot after receiving a cutback from Rashford, making it 5–4 on aggregate.
However, Villa’s hopes were kept alive by Donnarumma, who made key saves to deny Rashford and Tielemans. In the 70th minute, Donnarumma denied a shot from Marco Asensio with a brilliant stop.
PSG created a series of attacks, but couldn’t find the net. Martínez made a crucial save with one minute left in regular time, denying a shot from PSG’s Achraf Hakimi.
In the dying minutes, Villa had two more clear chances, but Donnarumma kept them at bay. In the very last moment, a shot from Ian Maatsen was blocked, and PSG held on to secure the 5–4 aggregate victory. Villa’s hopes faded as Emery lay slumped in disappointment on the sideline.
PSG, who reach the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive year, will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the next stage.
