Aston Villa 3 PSG 2 (4-5 agg) – Comeback win not quite enough for Emery’s side in Champions League classic

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Aston Villa are out of the Champions League after a 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain saw them lose 5-4 on aggregate to the Ligue 1 leaders.

The home side’s energetic start mirrored the heady atmosphere inside Villa Park, but PSG absorbed it and used Villa’s understandable need to attack against them, scoring twice from typically rapid counter-attacks. The first came from Achraf Hakimi after Emi Martinez had spilled a cut-back, the second from his fellow full-back Nuno Mendes. In a match in which they needed to recover a two-goal deficit, Villa had instead allowed PSG to double their advantage less than 30 minutes into the game.

It looked a lost cause for the Premier League side but Villa pulled one back through Youri Tielemans 10 minutes before half-time and when John McGinn made it 2-2 10 minutes into the second half, hope was restored. Whxen Ezri Konsa finished Marcus Rashford’s delicate cutback to make it 3-2 with more than half an hour of the game to play, belief had returned too.

But despite generating further chances Villa were unable to score the goal they needed to at least take the game to extra-time. Unai Emery’s team exit the competition with their reputation enhanced, PSG move into the semi-finals with their considerable aura perhaps slightly diminished.

Jacob Tanswell, Oli Kay and Thom Harris analyse a frantic game.

Villa reach new heights in momentous second half display

Paris Saint-Germain were stunned in the second half. Luis Enrique furiously gestured for his players to calm down, but they were caught in a storm. Villa Park was ear-splitting and it never stopped believing, even with a three goal aggregate deficit at half time. They pushed hard, committed players forward and took risks — which ultimately led to PSG’s first half goals.

They reached levels they perhaps have not got to before under Emery, going toe to toe with PSG and had big chances to win the tie with Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa going close when the Ligue 1 side were on the ropes.

Though they exit the competition at the quarter-final stage, this was not a night for Villa to be disheartened. They pushed the favourites all the way and did so playing in characteristic fashion under Emery.

Jacob Tanswell

Another atmospheric Villa Park night — despite anthem error

Champions League nights at Villa Park this season have been every bit as special as they promised to be. Their supporters, having longed for occasions like this, have embraced the competition, bringing an almighty noise that seemed to knock Bayern Munich out of their stride back in September and certainly gave Unai Emery’s team the belief that a remarkable comeback was possible against PSG.

Having got a taste for nights like this, Villa’s supporters will hope to be back in the competition next season — and that includes Prince William, roaring his team on from an executive box in the Trinity Road Stand.

(Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

One unexpected bum note came when the stadium DJ played the UEFA Conference League theme — rather than the more familiar Champions League theme — during the pre-match rigmarole before realising his mistake and playing the correct music.

It is the type of mistake you could imagine upsetting the bureaucrats at UEFA, but they should not underestimate what Villa have brought to the competition this season.

Oli Kay

A coming-of-age performance from PSG?

If this is to be the season when Paris Saint-Germain finally win the Champions League, they will look back on their trip to Villa Park as another coming-of-age experience.

If the first half-hour felt like an exhibition of their technical excellence and counter-attacking prowess, rushing into a 5-1 aggregate lead with beautifully taken goals from their full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, the second half was a different matter entirely: a serious test of their mettle against a Villa team who scored twice in quick succession to move within one goal and give themselves hope of the most dramatic fightback.

(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

It was a different type of storm — even more intense — to the one they weathered in the second leg at Liverpool in the previous round. That they kept playing their football and eventually reclaimed control of the game will only heighten Luis Enrique’s belief that this team, with such an abundance of technical quality, can conquer Europe at last.

Oli Kay

Villa’s 15-minute frenzy will live in the memory

The Champions League has an unerring habit of producing mind-bending moments as the stakes start to rise. Football — usually tactical, tense, low-scoring, completely collapses under the weight of narrative — time and time again.

Trailing by five goals to two as they trudged off at half-time, pulled apart by an untouchable midfield in the opening 45 minutes, there was little hope in the Villa Park air. But nothing is too far in this competition, and within 10 minutes of the restart, it was a 30-year-old Scotsman, galloping the length of the pitch before looping a shot over the giant Gianluigi Donnarumma, that set imagination alight.

Suddenly, PSG were trembling. And when Marcus Rashford danced his way to the byline, poked the ball around Fabian Ruiz, slinked past Vitinha, and laid it off for Ezri Konza to smash home, it felt as if they could do little else but cling on, and hope that the scriptwriters were kind.

Disbelief took over, faces of amazement in the crowd, and it was only two remarkable saves from Donnarumma — first to deny a rasping Rashford dive, and then a looping Tielemans header — that made sure at least some sense prevailed.

It was not to be for a valiant Villa, but with nine goals, a gripping storyline, and momentum that crashed from side-to-side, Europe’s premier competition undoubtedly delivered again.

Thom Harris

Super John McGinn leads by example

Given Villa’s sharp rise, it felt fitting for Villa’s longest-serving player — someone who joined the club when they were in the Championship — to put in one of his best performances for the club on the biggest stage in the Champions League.

(Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

John McGinn remains a key starter for big games as he symbolises everything Emery wants from Villa — aggression, boundless energy and a never-say-die attitude. With Villa trailing 5-2 om aggregate at half time, McGinn refused to let shoulders slump. He crashed into PSG players and exploited the large spaces their midfield left — perfectly demonstrated for his goal in the 55th minute, which suddenly gave Villa Park immense belief.

JOHN MCGINN THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS 💥

The Scotsman thunders one in from range, they couldn’t… could they?#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/VHmioNJt9P

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 15, 2025

Driving from inside his own half, McGinn — in typical scurrying fashion — put his head down and aimed for PSG’s goal before unleashing a powerful effort past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Villa’s captain lit a fuse in his team-mates, with Ezri Konsa scoring three minutes later to leave PSG stunned. They then had more chances to not only level the tie, but to win it outright, such was the second half powers of recovery, all started by McGinn.

Jacob Tanswell

Villa punished for failing to capitalise on fast start

If Villa were to have any chance of overturning a two-goal deficit from the first leg, they needed a fast start. Kicking towards The Holte End, Unai Emery’s approach was to attack quickly — largely through Morgan Rogers’ ball-carrying ability and Marcus Rashford’s pace — and press aggressively, rattling PSG to the extent that they would not be able to focus on their own strategy.

For 10 minutes, it worked. PSG kept playing the same way as the first leg which meant space for Villa’s attackers through midfield. However, Emery’s risk-taking plan required everything to be executed perfectly and some luck along the way.

Villa were ultimately punished in the way Luis Enrique expected and Emery no doubt feared — caught on transition with Rashford’s heavy touch running into trouble and allowed PSG to break. Emiliano Martinez spilled Bradley Barcola’s cross into the path of Achraf Hakimi to put PSG 4-1 ahead on aggregate with plenty of time left.

Hakimi gives PSG the lead after Martinez’s error (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Momentum was halted and meant the decision to opt for Rashford ahead of Ollie Watkins — who has not started the previous three matches despite being Villa’s top scorer — was magnified.

Ultimately the Manchester United loanee and Martinez’s heavy touches allowed PSG to gain a foothold and subdue the home crowd — though both would redeem themselves in the second half.

Jacob Tanswell

What did Unai Emery say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Villa?

Saturday, April 19: Newcastle (Home), Premier League, 5.30pm UK, 12.30pm ET

(Header photo: Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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