Aston Villa nearly produced a remarkable turnaround against Paris St-Germain but ultimately exited the Champions League after a dramatic quarter-final second leg at Villa Park. Starting the night with a 3-1 disadvantage from the first leg in Paris, the English side found themselves in an even more difficult position after conceding twice within the first 30 minutes.
PSG capitalized on early mistakes to extend their lead. Achraf Hakimi punished Emiliano Martinez’s error to open the scoring, and Nuno Mendes soon added a second. That left Villa needing at least four goals to reach the semi-finals.
Despite the uphill task, Villa responded with intensity and belief. The home crowd roared when Youri Tielemans scored via a deflection late in the first half, injecting life into the contest. The second half then brought a flurry of energy as Villa pushed for a miracle.
Within a short spell, Villa netted two goals in quick succession. John McGinn struck a fine effort from a distance before Ezri Konsa converted after clever play from Marcus Rashford. At that moment, Villa had the lead on the night and trailed by just one overall.
Gianluigi Donnarumma played a decisive role in preventing a full comeback. The PSG goalkeeper made three outstanding saves, stopping Rashford’s powerful attempt, parrying a close-range header from Tielemans, and later denying substitute Marco Asensio in a one-on-one.
Villa fall short, Donnarumma shines
Although Unai Emery’s team was eliminated, they left the field to a standing ovation. Their journey to the quarter-finals and their resilience against one of Europe’s top sides earned widespread admiration. Villa’s tenacity unsettled PSG in ways that other elite clubs had not managed in previous rounds.
The home team’s intensity caused serious problems for the French visitors, who struggled to maintain control after conceding twice in the second half. However, they held on and advanced with a narrow aggregate victory.
Donnarumma’s impact was crucial. The Italy international, already a key figure in PSG’s penalty shootout win over Liverpool in the previous round, produced another match-defining performance. His stop to deny Rashford, stretching to tip the ball over, was a highlight of the night.
He continued to frustrate Villa by reaching Tielemans’ header and closing down Asensio’s late opportunity. Donnarumma’s efforts kept PSG in front overall and ensured their progression to the last four, where they will meet either Arsenal or Real Madrid.
Though Aston Villa’s run ends here, their bold and spirited display against PSG will be remembered as one of the standout moments of this season’s Champions League.
