UCL Reaction: Aston Villa 3-2 (4-5) PSG: Valiant Villa Fall Just Short
Nuno Mendes
Aston Villa gave it their all but fell just short in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Quarter Final with Paris Saint-Germain, as they won 3-2 and lost 4-5 on aggregate.
For Villa, a nightmare start. After holding the ball for some time, Marcus Rashford gives the ball away and PSG counter. Emiliano Martinez fails to clear the ball, parrying it right into Achraf Hakimi, who couldn’t miss.
Less than 20 minutes later, thinks got worse for Unai Emery’s side. A textbook counter from the Parisians again, Hakimi shifts the ball out wide, for Ousmane Dembele to set Nuno Mendes up for a simple but quality finish.
Villa would get one back before halftime, Youri Tielmans getting his hefty shot deflected into the net.
The second half began all Villa, and they got their reward. John McGinn charging down the middle of the pitch to lift a shot over Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Emery’s team had the moment and were beginning to believe. Rashford put Fabian Ruiz on strings on the corner of the box before laying it back for Ezri Konsa to slide the ball home.
Villa had their chances but Donnarumma and co stood firm. A valiant effort from the Premier League side, yet early mistakes would cost them.
A Game of Two Halves
A sincere game of two halves, or four in this case.
Aston Villa started well in Paris but were unravelled, tonight they started too slow but dominated the late on. Too little, too late. As well as PSG have played in either game, it was Villa who robbed themselves of a chance to go through.
In the second half of this game, we saw just what Emery’s team is capable of. Fast, physical football, utilising every sing player in the team. Rashford showing his worth, McGinn leading this team directly, the whole team feeding on the energy only a European night can give.
Whilst this game highlighted the promise of Villa, it also showed just where they lack.
The Birmingham based side contained limited Champions League experience and it has shone through. In each game, Villa have produced moments of naivety, lacking the calm head of experience to guide them out.
Whilst PSG have scored some exceptional goals in these two legs, some were preventable with better composure, experience and lessons learned in this competition.
Emery and his team are set on returning to the Champions League next season, if they can do so, only then will they have the expertise to see out ties like this, because PSG opened that door and next time they need to go through it.
Understanding This PSG Team
Luis Enrique’s PSG are an electric side that can dominate the ball or beat you with blistering counter attacks finished with supreme quality. What they also are, is very young and we saw that tonight.
Big European nights can be intimidating at the best of times and this campaign PSG have shown both sides of the coin.
Against Liverpool, they went to Anfield behind but handled the heat and used the Merseyside atmosphere as fuel to overturn a deficit.
Tonight, they cancelled out the early atmosphere, yet as the game got more hectic, they fell into the fire. Against a more experienced side, the Paris side probably don’t see this one out.
After the first-leg, PSG were rightly touted into the favourite’s conversation, but they are undoubtably human. As much as they can punish you at any moment, they can scramble they can lose that level of composure that brings a bulletproof nature. Donnarumma is a much bigger player for this side than first thought.
PSG will play either Real Madrid or Arsenal in the semi-final. Most would say Arsenal is the easier tie but after they beat the former 3-0 and Paris themselves in the league phase, it never get’s easier in the Champions League.
