Paris Saint-Germain advanced into the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League, despite Unai Emery’s side epic second-half turnaround
The Ligue 1 champions progressed 5-4 on aggregate, having won 3-1 in the first-leg, before falling 3-2 at the Villa Park.
Although PSG ended Aston Villa’s great European adventure, the home side ensured it ended in appropriate fashion with a ferocious fightback.
With 34 minutes of this second leg played, the French side were 5-1 ahead on aggregate and confident of qualification. Yet Unai Emery’s boys showed resilience, giving Luis Enrique’s side a scare, as they went ahead on the night with three goals, just one goal adrift overall.
Les Parisiens however clung to their slim advantage to book a semi-final date against Arsenal or Real Madrid.
The second-leg tie started with Villa playing the wrong music; the Europa League theme instead of the Champions League anthem.
Meanwhile, the hosts went on the wrong side again as they conceded twice in the first half. PSG’s full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes fired them into a four-goal aggregate victory.
Hakimi got the first as he shot into the top left corner, after Emiliano Martinez mis-parried Bradley Barcola’s low cross towards the Moroccan.
Mendes then added the second, when he curled his effort past Emiliano Martinez, following a quick counter attack.
Aston Villa got one back before the close of the first-half, courtesy of Tielemans’ deflected effort. The Belgian received a McGinn pass and rattling off a shot which took a massive deflection off Pacho.
Surprisingly, the home side went ahead there within 12 minutes of the restart, back to within a goal of parity.
First, McGinn surged forward from the halfway line and rippled a 25-yard shot which deflected off Pacho’s knee, into the net.
Two minutes later, following a cleared corner, Marcus Rashford skinned two defenders and cut back for Konsa to ram home.
Aston Villa almost got back into the game but were denied by Donnarumma, who stretched high to claw away Tielemans’ header
The Italian goalkeeper went on to deny Marco Asensio, who was played through on goal by Pau Torres.
PSG went on to win on aggregate, as they March into the semi-final of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign.
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