On Tuesday night, Villa Park could witness an unforgettable Champions League tale as Aston Villa strive to overturn a deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in their quarter-final second leg.
The French giants arrive in England holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg, but Unai Emery, no stranger to PSG’s vulnerabilities, knows they’ve crumbled in second legs before.
After impressing as a pundit alongside Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand, Prince William watched from the Parc des Princes, where Morgan Rogers’ back-post goal sparked joy for the royal Villa fan.
Yet, in a match where young attackers shone in Paris, stunning strikes from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia flipped the tie, with Nuno Mendes landing a crushing 92nd-minute blow for PSG.
Trailing 3-1, Villa’s task isn’t impossible, but a two-goal deficit in the Champions League is a steep climb. The club has been knocked out in both prior European ties where they lost the first leg by two or more goals.
Villa’s recent trip to relegated Southampton was shaky for 70 minutes until late goals from Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, and Donyell Malen secured a 3-0 win, boosting confidence. The result also spared PSG loanee Marco Asensio embarrassment after Aaron Ramsdale saved both of his penalty attempts.
Villa still have a chance to earn a 2025-26 Champions League spot through their Premier League standing. They return to Villa Park, where they’re unbeaten in their last 17 matches across all competitions—a promising stat.
The Lions have also triumphed in their last four home games, netting at least twice in seven of their past eight at home. Emery boasts an impressive record, winning 11 of his last 13 European home matches. Simply put, PSG can’t afford to relax.
In their last game, Aston Villa defeated Southampton 3-0 on the road. The Villans had 60% of the possession and eleven shots on goal in the Premier League match at St. Mary's Stadium, where goals came from Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and John McGinn.
Since their 3-1 victory against Villa at Parc des Princes in the first leg, PSG has not played. Morgan Rogers scored for Villa, but Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Nuno Mende scored for PSG as Les Parisiens dominated possession with 68% of the ball and won the shots on goal 12-2.
Next season, Aston Villa is still aiming for a Champions League berth. In the Premier League, they have won four straight games while giving up only one goal. Nottingham Forest, who are higher in the rankings, defeated them 2-1 in that match. The Villans played Southampton last weekend with their best lineup. They exerted more pressure and scored three goals after the 70th minute (3-0) as they controlled the game. Marco Asensio, who was on loan from PSG, missed two penalty kicks in the meanwhile.
