Villa must overturn 3–1 deficit at Villa Park after PSG fight back from early setback in scintillating style.
Aston Villa’s Champions League dreams hang by a thread after Paris Saint-Germain overturned an early scare to win 3–1 in a pulsating quarter-final first leg at the Parc des Princes. Morgan Rogers gave the visitors a shock lead, but a devastating PSG response led by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turned the tide before Nuno Mendes struck late to hammer home the advantage.
Unai Emery’s men began brightly against the run of play. As PSG dominated possession, a quick break saw John McGinn lead a rare foray forward. His incisive pass found Rogers, who coolly tapped home to put Villa ahead and momentarily silence the home crowd.
But the joy was fleeting. PSG responded with authority, showcasing the very talent that makes them Champions League contenders. Nineteen-year-old Desire Doue, a livewire throughout, cut inside from the left and unleashed a curling effort into the far top corner. The strike was sublime, the intent clear.
Villa, rattled but not broken, tried to slow the tempo, but the French champions were relentless. Just minutes into the second half, Kvaratskhelia picked up the ball on the edge of the box and rifled in a stunner to put PSG ahead. The Georgian international, increasingly central to Enrique’s plans, had again demonstrated his match-winning capabilities.
Despite being under siege, Villa remained dogged. There were half chances—especially with three box entries while the score was 2–1—but clinical finishing evaded them. Then came the blow that could define the tie. In stoppage time, Nuno Mendes glided into the box, feinted past Emi Martinez and rolled in a composed third to give PSG a two-goal cushion heading into the return leg.
Unai Emery, visibly composed post-match, acknowledged the uphill task ahead but urged belief: “More or less it was the expectation—2–1 or 3–1. We’ll feel strong at home, and we believe in Villa Park and our supporters.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique was full of praise for his side: “We scored three beautiful goals, showed great quality, and we’ll go to Villa Park to play the same way—it’s our DNA.”
Morgan Rogers, despite his early goal, echoed his manager’s sentiment of resilience: “We’re not done yet. PSG are deadly, but we’re alive. Villa Park will be different.”
Still, the scale of the challenge is stark. PSG have blown leads in Europe before—a fact Emery knows all too well from his days in Paris—but Villa must now produce a near-flawless performance to reach the semi-finals.
Only one of their two blast furnaces, metaphorically speaking, seemed to fire in Paris. Now they need both roaring back in Birmingham.
