Paris Saint-Germain have taken a two-goal lead in their Champions League quarterfinal clash with Aston Villa with a first-leg 3-1 victory at the Parc des Princes.
Villa struck first through Morgan Rogers in the 35th minute, but the Ligue 1 champions hit back quickly through Desire Doue four minutes later. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put the home side ahead four minutes into the second half, and Nuno Mendes set the final score two minutes into the second-half stoppage time.
Teams
PSG coach Luis Enrique and Villa’s Unai Emery each had a player missing for this game. Enrique was without his team’s captain as Marquinhos sat it out through suspension, and a knock kept Villa winger Leon Bailey sidelined too.
For the hosts, Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal, with Lucas Beraldo replacing Marquinhos in the heart of defence alongside Willian Pacho. As always, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi covered the defensive flanks. The midfield consisted of the usual trio – Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz. Upfront, Desire Doue got the nod ahead of Bradley Barcola to form the attacking line with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
For Villa, Emiliano Martinez stood between the posts, with the centre-back duo of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres directly ahead, Lucas Digne on the left side of defence, and Matty Cash on the right. Youri Tielemans paired up with Boubacar Camara in the middle of the park, while captain John McGinn helped wingers Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers support Marcus Rashford as the central attacker.
Brief recap
Aston Villa opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Morgan Rogers capitalized on a swift counter-attack, slotting the ball past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. This goal came against the run of play, as PSG had been controlling possession and creating opportunities.
PSG responded swiftly, with 19-year-old Doue equalizing just four minutes later. The young forward unleashed a powerful curling shot from outside the box that found the top corner, leaving Villa’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with no chance. This goal shifted the momentum back in favor of the hosts.
Early in the second half, PSG took the lead through a moment of individual brilliance from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian winger received the ball near the halfway line, dribbled past multiple Villa defenders, and calmly finished from a tight angle to make it 2-1 in the 49th minute. Kvaratskhelia’s goal showcased his exceptional dribbling skills and composure under pressure.
Throughout the match, PSG continued to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. Villa’s goalkeeper Martinez made several crucial saves to keep his team in contention, but the relentless pressure from PSG’s attack proved challenging to withstand.
In stoppage time, PSG extended their lead when Nuno Mendes redeemed himself for an earlier defensive error. The left-back made a surging run into the box, skillfully maneuvered past Villa’s defense, and slotted the ball past Martinez to seal a 3-1 victory for the French champions.
This result places PSG in a strong position ahead of the second leg at Villa Park. Aston Villa will need to overcome a two-goal deficit to keep their Champions League aspirations alive. Having caused plenty of problems for Liverpool in the previous round, PSG’s attacking trio of Kvaratskhelia, Doue, and Dembele demonstrated their potency once more, posing a significant challenge for Villa’s defense in the upcoming rematch.
Villa need a new right-back
Kvaratskhelia’s electric performance left Villa scrambling for answers, and both Matty Cash and Axel Disasi found themselves totally overwhelmed by the Georgian’s relentless threat down the flank. Cash was singled out early by PSG’s left-sided attacks and struggled to contain Kvaratskhelia’s pace and trickery. A yellow card midway through the first half only compounded his issues, forcing Unai Emery into a pragmatic halftime change to avoid the risk of a second booking.
Disasi, however, fared no better. Just four minutes after his introduction, he was left in the dust by Kvaratskhelia, who twisted and turned before firing PSG into a 2-1 lead with a breathtaking solo effort. The former Napoli winger looked untouchable on the night, and his ability to breeze past both of Villa’s right-sided defenders underlined the gulf in class.
Emery now faces a serious selection dilemma ahead of the second leg. Cash’s discipline will remain a concern, while Disasi’s inability to cope one-on-one was glaring. Shifting Ezri Konsa to right-back could offer a more robust option, but it would weaken the centre of Villa’s defence, potentially creating new problems. Whatever the decision, containing Kvaratskhelia looks like an unenviable task with no clear fix.
If the Birmingham club are to continue their rise through the 2025/26 season, getting a new man on the right defensive flank should be one of their priorities during the upcoming summer transfer window.
PSG among Champions League favourites
While the Premier League arguably remains one of the strongest divisions in Europe, PSG have shown they have what it takes to beat any side from the English top flight, having added Aston Villa to the list of beaten teams alongside Liverpool in the round of 16 and Manchester City in the group stage.
The balance of the team created by Luis Enrique is an impressive mixture of youth experience and players in their prime. The football they play is extremely pleasing to the eye, and yet, there doesn’t seem to be any lack of tactical discipline. In fact, the way the front three move, for example, must be something premeditated, worked on in training.
Three of the four quarterfinal clashes have seen a team put one foot into the semis now. Not many will be considering Aston Villa’s chances of overturning the deficit as realistic. Even less so for Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who’ve suffered comprehensive thrashings at the hands of Arsenal and Barcelona, respectively. Unless something remarkable happens in Birmingham, Madrid or Dortmund, only the clash between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich remains open, after the Nerazzurri recorded a narrow triumph in Germany.
Any of the remaining teams in the competition could go on to win it, but along with Barcelona, PSG have arguably shown the greatest football quality of all since the start of the knockout stages.
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
