Aston Villa are out of the Champions League despite launching a credible assault on Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park, winning 3-2 on the night but losing 4-5 on aggregate.
Two goals in the first half-hour from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes would ultimately decide the tie, but Youri Tielemans’ goal before the break and a pair added by John McGinn and Ezri Konsa allowed Villa Park to dream once more.
But ultimately, they were not able to get the comeback over the line, despite Ian Maatsen having a rifled volley cleared off the line in injury time.
PSG more fragile tonight than we have seen them this year, and were well stretched by Emery’s men. Depsite the final result, Villa will look fondly back on this campaign, where they have roundly outperformed all expectation. It is proof of concept for the Emery project, and once disappointment abates, focus will shift to qualifying for next year’s campaign.
Aston Villa vs PSG latest news
- GOAL! Konsa puts Villa ahead on the night
- GOAL! McGinn scores a stunner to cut the deficit further
- GOAL! Tielemans strikes to hand Villa lifeline
- GOAL! Mendes piles more misery on Villa
- GOAL! Hakimi extends PSG's lead early
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:51It was just too big an ask for Aston Villa, who exit the Champions League.
A spectacularly dramatic tie in Birmingham, as PSG were pushed all the way and stretched to their limit, but not quite pushed beyond it.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:48 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: Three minutes are added.
180 seconds for Villa to find one more goal..
180 seconds for PSG to hold on.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:45 , Arthur Ferridge88mins: An interesting final sub from Emery, who drops Tielemans for Ross Barkley, who has been out injured for quite some time.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:41 , Arthur Ferridge84mins: Doue hits a wayward cross into the penalty area which Kvaratskhelia attempts to hit first-time, but he doesn’t quite connect how he’d have wanted to.
Goal kick.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:39 , Arthur Ferridge83mins: PSG are awarded a free kick in prime location and Dembele lasers it into the wall.
Wasteful at this stage of the game, it must be said.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:35 , Arthur Ferridge78mins: Dembele goes close again and opts to shoot (again) rather than pass to the onrushing Doue, but his effort is into Row Z.
Not long left now. Can PSG hold on?
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:34 , Arthur Ferridge77mins: A driving run from Dembele sees the Frenchman get beyond Konsa and Cash, but Martinez is equal to his shot.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:32 , Arthur Ferridge76mins: Emery makes his move, as Rashford and Digne make way for Watkins and Maatsen.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:3174mins: Ollie Watkins is being prepped to come on, and not a moment too soon.
He scored a crucial late goal for England against the Netherlands at the Euros last summer. Could he get another, equally important goal here?
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:28 , Arthur Ferridge71mins: A sublime delivery from Rashford and Konsa is in line for the easiest goal of his career.
He dives at the ball and completely misses it, crashing into the six-yard box as Rashford’s free kick goes out for a throw-in.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:26 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: Did PSG not see this coming?
It is not unusual for Premier League sides to insist on loan players’ contract clauses preventing a loaned player from appearing against his parent club.
PSG must have foreseen this fixture as a possibility when they made that loan move back in February. And yet, Asensio is introduced and lines up opposite his current club - and he forces a good save from Donnarumma within minutes of his introduction.
Could it come back to bite them?
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:2366mins: Konsa’s goal does seem to have given PSG a shot of adrenaline as Dembele goes close. They have been on the ball since, creating a couple of half-chances.
They will know just how humiliating it would be to let that four-goal cushion slip.
Villa make subs in the background, as John McGinn and Andre Onana are replaced by Marco Asensio (on loan from PSG) and Jacob Ramsey.
Over in Dortmund, Barcelona have scored to abate any concerns of an upset, taking their aggregate lead over the black and yellow to 2-5.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:18 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: A window into Enrique’s psyche, now, as he brings on Doue for Barcola.
Doue, a potent goal threat, will hope to right the ship for the Parisians.
They just need to hang on for another half an hour.
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:17 , Arthur Ferridge60mins: A simply unbelievable save from Donnarumma denies Tielemans his brace. Where would PSG be without the big Italian?
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 agg)
21:15 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: MY GOODNESS, ANOTHER ONE!
A Rashford strike from range forces a save from Donnarumma. He receives the ball short from the following corner, dances into the box, and pulls it back to Konsa who hammers it home.
We are now within one. Do not adjust your television set!
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-2 PSG (3-5 agg)
21:12 , Arthur Ferridge54mins: WHO ELSE BUT JOHN MCGINN?
He carries the ball from halfway and hammers a shot from about 25 yards out. It soars beyond a rooted Donnarumma into the top right corner.
They couldn’t, could they?
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
21:1052mins: Calamity defending from PSG as Donnarumma dives on a loose ball, only barely smothering Marcus Rashford’s shot.
Down the other end, Dembele scores. He was well offside, but the lino let him play it out before putting the flag up.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
21:07 , Arthur Ferridge49mins: McGinn drives goalwards and finds Digne on the wing. His cross finds McGinn again, but he heads over.
It must be said, the clock is ticking for Villa, who realistically need a goal within the next five minutes if they are to keep their dreams alive.
Poignantly, the broadcast camera cuts to Ollie Watkins, looking dejected on the bench. A penny for his thoughts.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
21:03 , Arthur Ferridge46mins: The second half has barely begun and John McGinn is down in a heap, claiming Marquinhos has elbowed him in the mouth.
There is certainly contact, but it does not look to be deliberate.
Play on.
Back underway
21:02 , Arthur FerridgePSG kick off the second half.
Around the grounds
20:54 , Arthur FerridgeThe first half of Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona has ended 1-0 (1-4 agg), so odds of a comeback look about as likely there as they do at Villa Park.
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:47 , Arthur FerridgeOur one minute of added time has been and gone, and that will be all for the first half.
Goals from Hakimi and Mendes have all but put this tie to bed, but Tielemans’ contribution means the hosts can still dream.
It would still take a Herculean effort in the second period.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:46 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: Another dangerous counter from PSG sees Dembele rifle a shot into the bleachers.
It is called back for offside, to spare his blushes.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:43 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: McGinn is shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Kvaratskhelia.
What was it Roy Keane once said about smashing into someone to make yourself feel better? Same sentiment, I reckon.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:41 , Arthur Ferridge40mins: PSG flood forward in numbers but Ruiz’s shot is well saved by Martinez. That may well be his first save of the night.
End-to-end stuff here. You get the impression that PSG are not feeling particularly comfortable despite the three goal cushion.
Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:38 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: We are having a refereeing delay here, but VAR doesn’t seem to be involved.
We are being shown replays of Hakimi lashing out at John McGinn after a foul, but it proves to be a non-event. Play on.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:3533mins: One back for Villa, and it's Tielemans!
A tidy, tricky attack from Villa. McGinn and Rashford combine nicely around the area before the latter plays Tielemans in, and his deflected finish finds the back of the net.
They all count. All to play for now!
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 PSG (1-5 agg)
20:29 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: That, I’m afraid, should be that. Sometimes football is cruel, and Villa have been denied the comeback so many in the stadium will have dreamt about for the last week.
It is a near carbon copy of the first goal as PSG strike with a lightning counterattack. They go from one end to the other in the blink of an eye and Nuno Mendes drills a shot in off the post.
There was nothing Martinez could do about it.
Aston Villa 0-1 PSG (1-4 agg)
20:25 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: Rogers goes close. He squares up to Pacho, turns him inside out and looks to curl a shot at the far bottom corner, but it sneaks just barely wide.
Aston Villa 0-1 PSG (1-4 agg)
20:20 , Arthur Ferridge19mins: If nothing else, Villa have responded well to Hakimi’s opener - they have attacked will in the nearly ten minutes since.
They have only managed one threatening shot, though, which Torres pounded right at Donnarumma, who was more than equal to it.
Villa will need to score soon if they want any hope of turning this around.
Aston Villa 0-1 PSG (1-4 agg)
20:18 , Arthur Ferridge16mins: That will be really challenging for Villa to come back from - they will now require three goals on the night just to force extra time.
Is it doable? Sure. There is time on the clock, at least. They have to make sure their heads don’t go down, though.
Meanwhile, Dortmund have opened the scoring at home to Barcelona, taking the aggregate score there to 1-4 in favour of the Spanish side.
A remontada looks unlikely at Villa Park. Could we see a gegenwehr at the Signal Iduna Park?
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 PSG (1-4 agg)
20:1311mins: PSG lead. That is not what Villa needed at all.
Barcola flashes down the left wing and crosses towards Dembele but Martinez gets to it first. He parries only as far as Hakimi, though, who finishes without issue.
Villa had a mountain to climb - the summit now looks even further out of reach.
Aston Villa 0-0 PSG (1-3 agg)
20:10 , Arthur Ferridge9mins: It is Barcola’s turn to attack, and he is unceremoniously shoved off the ball.
Villa certainly stamping some authority on this tie in the early stages, but, if you’ll forgive me for stating the obvious, they do need to score sooner rather than later if they want a chance of turning this around.
Aston Villa 0-0 PSG (1-3 agg)
20:08 , Arthur Ferridge7mins: PSG’s first attack goes nowhere. Dembele is on the ball down the left flank and plays a pair of crosses in the general direction of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, but neither pose much threat, if any.
Has been a markedly physical start to this game, it must be said. Tackles are flying all over the place.
Aston Villa 0-0 PSG (1-3 agg)
20:06 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: Villa are definitely having the better of the early play, but barring the Onana header in the second minute have not actually troubled Donnarumma.
Aston Villa 0-0 PSG
20:04 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: Rashford gets on the ball and looks to cause PSG some problems but the second corner ultimately comes to nought.
Aston Villa 0-0 PSG
20:03 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: Positive signs for the hosts, who win a corner in the very early stages.
Onana’s header fizzes across the face of goal and goes out for a second corner.
Kick off!
20:01 , Arthur FerridgeCoins have been tossed, ends chosen, mascots dismissed, warm-up tops discarded.
The hosts get us underway under what is now quite heavy rain. A colossal 90 minutes await.
That wasn't quite right
19:59 , Arthur FerridgeThe team at Villa Park have played the wrong anthem ahead of kickoff.
No iconic Champions League anthem - we were treated instead to that of the Europa and Conference Leagues.
Villa fans will hope that doesn’t prove to be some kind of foreshadowing.
The players are out...
19:57 , Arthur FerridgeAnd what a reception they receive.
The atmosphere is unbelievable at Villa Park - the home fans are, as ever, in full voice, and the PSG ultras are doing exactly what they do best.
We have a light show, pyros, tifos, all the bells and whistles. Why not?
Kickoff next. Let’s get into it.
Kickoff is not far away now
19:45 , Arthur FerridgeJust a quarter of an hour until we get underway at Villa Park.
The skies open over Villa Park
19:42 , Arthur FerridgeIt looks as though much of this match will be played in the wet as it has started raining in Birmingham.
Will that give Villa a slight advantage?
Royals in attendance
19:32 , Arthur FerridgeYou didn’t really think he was going to miss this one, did you?
Aston Villa superfan Prince William is in attendance at Villa Park alongside his son, Prince George.
He will hope to see a better performance than he was treated to in Paris.
PSG's path
19:25 , Arthur FerridgeUnlike Villa, PSG struggled somewhat in the league phase, finishing just 15th.
Their wins over Man City, Girona, Salzburg, and Stuttgart contrasted against losses to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich. A 1-1 draw at home to PSV Eindhoven made up the numbers.
The slow start meant PSG were made to play a play-off, during which they battered fellow French side Brest, winning 10-0 over two legs.
Oh, and then they knocked out Liverpool in the round of 16. No biggy.
Should PSG progress tonight, it will be either Real Madrid or Arsenal in the semi-final, that tie being decided tomorrow night.
Hostile atmosphere
19:20 , Arthur FerridgeGianluigi Donnarumma emerges from the tunnel to a chorus of boos from the home support.
No hard feelings from the first leg, then.
PSG Ultras descend on Villa Park
19:18 , Arthur Ferridge
Unai Emery speaks on selection
19:10 , Arthur FerridgeEmery gives little away in his pre-match interview.
On the occasion: “We are motivated, excited, in a good moment. We are trying our best today and trying to get every energy from the supporters. We try to play as well as possible.”
On what needs to improve since last week: “We will see it, now is the moment to watch the game, the players, to try to focus on the gameplan and how we are doing something different, we compete fantastic there and here we will compete again but do something more.”
On Onana starting and Watkins sitting: “The players are ready and have quality and we will try to focus on the gameplan.”
Aston Villa's path
19:10 , Arthur FerridgeVilla have had a fantastic campaign so far this year, finishing eighth in the group phase.
In that run, they beat Bayern Munich, Young Boys, Bologna, Leipzig, and Celtic.
That earned them a first-round bye before they eased past Club Brugge in the round of 16, winning 6-1 over the two legs.
Should they confirm their comeback tonight, they will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semi-final.
PSG confirmed team news
19:03Luis Enrique plays his hand.
Confirmed PSG XI: Donnarumma; Nuno Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi; Ruiz, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, kimpembe, Ramos, Doue, Kang-In, Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire-Emery, Beraldo, Mbaye
Konsa speaks out ahead of kickoff
18:56 , Arthur FerridgeEzri Konsa takes on Aston Villa’s media duties ahead of kickoff. Here’s some of what he had to say.
On the day: “Its a special occasion for the players and fans. We know what we need to do and hopefully we can win.”
On tactics: “Whoever watched the game saw that we sat in a low block and tonight we need to put more pressure on from the off and get an early goal.”
On possession: “In football if you have the ball you create more chances, so we want to minimise their possession.”
Musing on the lineup
18:52Will this be the squad to turn over PSG? Hard to say...
It is a very similar squad to that which played last time, but Emery drops Ramsey and Torres.
To stick to your guns after shipping three last time out is a gamble from Emery.
To leave out Watkins when you’re so desperate for goals is similarly bold.
Let’s see what PSG have for us, up next.
Aston Villa confirmed team news: No Watkins
18:46 , Arthur FerridgeAston Villa confirm their XI for tonight. Here’s how the hosts line up:
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; McGinn, Kamara, Tielemans, Onana; Rogers, Rashford
Subs: Olsen, Procter, Disasi, Mings, Maatsen, Bogarde, Barkley, Bailey, Asensio, Ramsey, Watkins
Luis Enrique: Nothing given, nothing earned
18:35 , Arthur FerridgePSG manager Luis Enrique said that he expected full focus from his side ahead of a banana peel of a second leg.
Here is his assessment of how Villa may adjust their setup: “I think it's one of the strengths of a competition like this played over two legs is that teams will set up differently in the first and the second game.
“In first game, teams might press high, but others they may press deeper. These are questions coaches always ask themselves, but for me, the most important thing is to look at problems Aston Villa may pose for us and the aim of course is very clear to win.”
Unai Emery: Villa want to write history
18:27 , Arthur FerridgeEmery dug deep into the cliche library as he offered up loosely inspiring platitudes calling for Villa to pull off a historic comeback.
Here’s some of what he had to say.
On a potential comeback: “I have experiences coming back from results, positively and negatively. Now it is something different, we want to write here the history with Aston Villa. Last year [we played] in the Conference League and this year in the Champions League and [now] hopefully for a long time in Europe.”
He was joined in the presser by Morgan Rogers, who added: “There’s massive belief. Most people wrote us off before the tie. We’re excited, under the lights at home, playing in the quarter-finals of this competition … there are not many places better to be. If anyone’s going to turn it around, it’s going to be us.”
How did the first leg shake out?
18:20 , Arthur FerridgeIt was Villa who broke the deadlock in the first leg, scoring through Morgan Rogers with 35 minutes on the clock.
Their evening would quickly unravel, though.
Desire Doue would equalise just four minutes later with a stunner from the edge of the area.
Kvicha Kvaratshkelia would put Les Bleus in front just a few minutes into the frenetic second half, before Nuno Mendes put a nail in the coffin in injury time.
It is all to play for tonight, though. Who knows what Villa could pull off?
The away contingent arrive
18:15PSG’s ultras are a formidable bunch, and 2,200 of them will be present at Villa Park tonight, according to the club’s X account.
Should be a cauldron in there.
From Paris to Villa Park: 2,200 of you will be supporting our Parisians tonight! ❤️💙#UCL | #AVFCPSG
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 15, 2025
pic.twitter.com/lpPO2zNnoF
Aston Villa vs PSG latest betting odds
18:10 , Arthur FerridgeThe bookies lean heavily in favour of the guests.
Aston Villa win: 2/1
Draw: 12/5
PSG win: 1/1
Odds via BetFair (subject to change)
Aston Villa vs PSG head-to-head
18:05 , Arthur FerridgeYou likely will not be surprised to learn that Villa and PSG have not played each other many times. They have met exactly once - the first leg of this tie.
As such, the ticker tape does not make for a very interesting read. But here it is anyway. Make of it what you will:
Aston Villa win: 0
Draw: 0
PSG win: 1
Aston Villa vs PSG prediction: A mountain to climb for the hosts
18:01 , Arthur FerridgeSafe to say the first leg of this tie did not go to plan for Aston Villa.
While they will have some of England’s best fans behind them, it is not particularly easy to picture the Villans beating PSG by enough of a margin to progress.
PSG finally seem to have gotten their act together as a European contender and are considered by many to be out-and-out favourites. They shouldn’t have much of an issue tonight.
PSG to win 2-1, aggregate 5-2
Aston Villa team news: Malen still a doubt
17:50 , Arthur FerridgeVilla will carry a near-spotless bill of health into tonight’s match.
Donyell Malen is ineligible to play, and Leon Bailey will face a late fitness test as he recovers from a knock.
Ollie Watkins is likely to feature up top as Villa will need quick goals.
How to watch Aston Villa vs PSG
17:45 , Arthur FerridgeTonight’s match will be streaming LIVE on Amazon Prime Video.
In a break from Champions League tradition, it will not be available on TNT Sports or Discovery+.
Of course, you can follow all the action right here with The Standard’s live blog.
PSG team news: Little to report
17:41 , Arthur FerridgePSG carry no fresh injuries into tonight’s match, and, as such, you wouldn’t expect too many changes in Luis Enrique’s squad.
Desire Doue tore Villa limb from limb in the first leg and should be nailed on to reprise his role on the wings opposite Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Kick-off time
17:40 , Arthur FerridgeTonight’s action gets underway at 8pm BST at Villa Park, generally reliable for a good atmosphere - particularly on a Tuesday night.
Good evening
17:25 , Arthur FerridgeHello and welcome to The Standard’s LIVE coverage of Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final.
The first leg ended in a 3-1 win for PSG. Can Villa pull off the comeback here?
Stay tuned for live coverage and reaction.
