PSG and Aston Villa provide dramatics in classic Champions League match

Photo Credit: Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

All eyes were on Villa Park in Birmingham, England on Tuesday night as Aston Villa looked to book a place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time since 1981-82 when they were crowned European champions. Standing in their way was Paris Saint-Germain - a three-time semi-finalist - and a 3-1 deficit on aggregate. The two teams played 90 minutes of high-intensity soccer in a match that will go down as an all-time classic in Champions League history.

Off the back of a 3-1 win at home in the first leg, PSG took a comfortable lead into a hostile environment of 42,535 fans, looking to advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.

None of that phased PSG in the opening half an hour.

11 minutes into the match, PSG right back Achraf Hakimi was the quickest to react when Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez couldn’t handle a low cross in the box. Hakimi calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net via a slight deflection off Martinez’s right leg. The visitors would double their lead in the 27th minute when the side’s other full-back, Nuno Mendes, struck a beautiful curling shot off the right post and in from the center of the penalty area.

Mendes’ goal put his team up 2-0 in the game and 5-1 on aggregate across the two legs. Many, including the broadcasters, thought the tie was over, and rightly so. One of the best teams in Europe was up by four goals with an hour left to play against a team that not many people predicted to go this far. However, Aston Villa didn’t shy away from the challenge at hand, making a valiant effort as they tried to complete one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League knockout round history.

In the 34th minute, midfielder Youri Tielemans led an attack for Aston Villa down the middle of the park. After passes were exchanged between two of his teammates, the ball found its way back to Tielemans who had his shot deflected off the chest of PSG center back Willian Pacho into the net. The goal gave the home side life but after failing to score the rest of the half, they found themselves three goals down with 45 minutes left.

A rejuvenated Aston Villa came out for the second half, the most important half of their season.

After scoring on a breakaway in the 52nd minute, PSG forward Ousmane Dembele was ruled offside. The goal would have certainly put the tie to bed, but instead, Aston Villa used it as momentum to continue mounting a comeback.

Aston Villa captain John McGinn took matters into his own hands when the midfielder ran with the ball from his defensive half to the edge of the PSG box, firing a looping deflected shot that beat PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 55th minute.

The Villa faithful started to believe including long-time supporter William, Prince of Wales, who was rallying his team from his club box.

Two minutes later, that belief started to grow stronger.

Aston Villa forward Marcus Rashford creatively maneuvered his way into the PSG penalty area, setting up center back Ezri Konsa in the box. Konsa’s one-time shot found the bottom corner at the near post, giving Aston Villa the 3-2 lead on the night and putting them within one on aggregate.

Unfortunately, for the hosts, there would be no more goals after Villa’s quick burst early in the second half. The comeback fell agonizingly short but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Donnarumma stood on his head for PSG in the second half including making one of the saves of the tournament in the 60th minute. Six yards from the goal, a loose ball popped up to Tielemans who headed it toward the top right corner of the net. Starting to run away celebrating, the Aston Villa midfielder was stunned to see Donnarumma leaping back with his right hand to claw the ball out of the top corner.

Then, in the 70th minute, Donnaruma denied winger Marco Asensio on a partial breakaway with a kick save. Despite conceding three goals, the Italian keeper made five crucial saves to send PSG to the next round.

Aston Villa’s last chance to send the game to extra time came in the dying seconds when Ian Maatsen’s first-time volley was blocked in front of the goal by Pacho.

While Aston Villa won 3-2 on the night, they failed to find the tying goal on aggregate losing 5-4 to PSG. Most teams would have crumbled after conceding two early goals and falling behind 5-1 on aggregate, but not Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side.

“Very proud of the boys, of what we’ve done tonight,” Ezri Konsa said. “Obviously the two goals at the start killed us but we showed great belief, great character to get back into the game. But unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

Aston Villa will look to stay motivated in their final seven Premier League games of the season, as they sit seventh and are fighting for a place in next year’s Champions League.

For PSG, they just sealed their fourth French Ligue 1 title and will await the winner of Arsenal vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.