PSG vs Aston Villa Review
Paris Saint-Germain will head into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with a two-goal lead after defeating Aston Villa 3-1 at Parc des Princes, putting an end to the Villans’ seven-match winning streak. Unai Emery’s players tried to contain their opponents early on, but the lively hosts still managed to create several scoring opportunities. Both Vitinha and Ousmane Dembélé forced Emiliano Martínez into making saves, with Vitinha later sending a powerful shot over the Villa crossbar. Although the visitors had few counterattacks, they were successful in disrupting PSG’s rhythm and began to gain more possession as the first half progressed.
All Villa needed was an opportunity, and their skill became evident in the 35th minute when they took the lead. McGinn regained possession at the halfway line and passed it across to Rashford, who then set up Tielemans on the left. Tielemans slid the ball across the goal for Morgan Rogers to finish. However, their efforts were quickly negated by a moment of brilliance just minutes later, as Désiré Doué cut in from the left, evaded Rogers, and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the far top corner.
Doué continued to dismantle the Villa defense until halftime, and his team maintained their momentum after the break, taking the lead for the first time. Fabián Ruiz passed to the left where Khvicha Kvaratskhelia skillfully maneuvered past Axel Disasi and scored from a tight angle into the roof of the net. The home team remained completely in control, with Achraf Hakimi among those coming close to scoring, but they failed to capitalize on their opportunities and even allowed their opponents a few chances late in the game, including one for PSG loanee Marco Asensio.
Just when it seemed that Villa would manage to hold on to a one-goal deficit until the end, Dembélé delivered a pass to Nuno Mendes. Mendes advanced towards the goal, skillfully evading both the defender and the goalkeeper before smoothly scoring the third goal. This puts Villa in a tougher position for the second leg, while PSG continues to be the frontrunner to win the tournament.
