Paris Saint-Germain clinched a dramatic UEFA Champions League semi-final spot despite a fierce second-half surge from Aston Villa, progressing with a narrow 5-4 aggregate after a 3-2 defeat in the second leg on Tuesday night. In a high-voltage encounter at Villa Park, PSG’s early advantage proved just enough to hold off a remarkable comeback attempt by the Premier League side.
The French giants, now navigating the post-Kylian Mbappe era, came into the match with a 3-1 lead from the first leg and looked to be cruising after goals from full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes inside the opening 27 minutes. Bradley Barcola’s aggressive pace and Emiliano Martinez’s spill created the chance for Hakimi, while Ousmane Dembele set up Mendes for another clinical finish.
However, Aston Villa, playing in their first major European knockout fixture in over 40 years, responded with resilience. Youri Tielemans reduced the deficit before halftime with a deflected strike, reigniting belief among the home fans, including Prince William and his son George.
In the second half, Villa found another gear. John McGinn’s curling shot deflected into the net to equalize the score on the night, and Ezri Konsa netted shortly after thanks to a superb run and assist by Marcus Rashford. Rashford, loaned from Manchester United, showcased brilliance throughout the evening and caused constant problems for PSG’s defense.
Unai Emery, facing his former club, came close to pulling off a sensational turnaround reminiscent of Barcelona’s 2017 comeback against PSG—also under his management at the time. However, Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall in goal for the Parisians, producing several critical saves to preserve the aggregate lead, including a remarkable stop to deny Rashford and later saves from Tielemans and Marco Asensio.
Despite the defensive wobble in the second half, PSG held firm. Marquinhos and Pacho contributed to the late defensive stand, with Pacho blocking a last-minute attempt from Ian Maatsen to prevent extra time. PSG head coach Luis Enrique acknowledged the challenge posed by his Spanish counterpart Emery and praised his team for showing character under pressure.
Luis Enrique stated, “Over two legs, we showed we deserved to go through. Matches like these help us grow stronger and prepare for what’s to come.” PSG now aim to finally secure their elusive first Champions League title, with Arsenal likely awaiting them in the semi-final following the Gunners’ commanding 3-0 first-leg win over Real Madrid.
Barcelona will face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the other semi-final, setting up an explosive finish to this season’s competition. PSG, with their domestic league already secured, are fully focused on conquering Europe at the final in Munich on May 31.
