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THIS isn’t what anyone would normally picture for a romantic escape in Paris come springtime.
Instead, it showcased a rough-and-tumble scene filled with blood, sweat, tears, bruises, and a steadfast defensive effort.
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Before the next two kings of England — Princes William and George — Unai Emery’s industrious Aston Villa faced a devastating injury-time setback delivered by Nuno Mendes, which significantly shifted the Champions League quarter-final in favor of Paris Saint Germain.
For a substantial period, Villa held Paris Saint Germain—widely considered one of the world’s top attacking teams—at bay, grasping a narrow advantage ahead of the return leg next Tuesday.
However, in the dying seconds, Mendes drilled the ball past Emi Martinez, putting Villa in a tough position.
The atmosphere at Villa Park will undoubtedly amplify as its intensity is renowned, as the prospect of an all-English semi-final against one of Emery’s former clubs, Arsenal, still looms.
Following Morgan Rogers’ unexpected first-half strike, both Desire Doue and Khvichka Kvaratskhelia unleashed stunning efforts soon after the break.
Despite this, Luis Enrique’s team failed to convert their superiority into a decisive advantage, missing opportunities to put Villa to the sword and ease the pressure for the second leg.
PSG maintained control of possession throughout, continuously pressuring Villa’s goal, but Emery’s troops hung tough until the ultimately heartbreaking end.
Martinez was a target for jeers from the French supporters after his antics during the 2022 World Cup Final, and he was the first Villa player to experience the wrath of the local fans, who insulted him in Spanish.
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Villa fans showcased their goalkeeper as ‘the world’s number one’ during their club’s most significant encounter in over four decades.
Prince William was seen in attendance, offering tactical insights regarding PSG’s high press to TNT Sports before the match commenced.
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PSG took to the pitch after clinching another Ligue 1 title and overcoming Liverpool on penalties in an electrifying last-16 matchup.
Conversely, Villa entered the clash riding a wave of seven consecutive wins across all competitions, with Emery opting for Marcus Rashford over Ollie Watkins up front, while his PSG loanee Marco Asensio began on the bench.
From the get-go, it felt destined to be a grueling night for Villa as PSG kept them pinned back.
Martinez faced scorn with every touch and was quickly tested, making a crucial save to deny an Ousmane Dembele attempt after Boubacar Kamara survived a penalty appeal for his challenge on Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian, fondly nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ during his time at Napoli, displayed electrifying dribbling prowess, which led to Matty Cash receiving a yellow card for stopping him.
Yet, after weathering an intense 35 minutes of pressure, Villa managed to counter and score a spectacular team goal.
John McGinn, the assertive captain known for his grit, won a vital challenge against Mendes and delivered a diagonal pass to Rashford.
The Manchester United loanee then set up Youri Tielemans, who squared it for Rogers to finish it off, catching PSG off guard.
The travelling Villa supporters erupted in ecstasy, but this lead would be short-lived, lasting only four minutes.
After Martinez executed a scrambling save, a corner was deflected out to Doue, who curled a stunning shot into the upper corner, leaving Villa’s Argentine keeper with no chance.
Before the halftime whistle, Rashford managed to evade Ashraf Hakimi on the left flank but failed to deliver a quality final ball.
During the halftime interval, Emery opted to substitute Cash for Axel Disasi, though the newcomer faced a tough task against Kvaratskhelia.
Only four minutes into the second half, the Georgian maneuvered past the Chelsea loanee and unleashed a fierce shot that beat Martinez at the near post, nearly tearing through the net.
The match unfolded in a relentless back-and-forth dynamic—an attack versus defense scenario where Villa often placed six players in the back, with occasional counter-attacks creating opportunities.
The dynamic duo of Doue and Kvaratskhelia kept Villa on their toes as they worked in tandem, setting up Hakimi, whose shot was deflected clear by Martinez.
At that moment, Emery brought on Asensio against his parent club, but the Spaniard struggled to make his presence felt.
Soon after, Martinez narrowly prevented another near-post strike from Hakimi, with the full-back being flagged offside just in time.
The tension grew for the visitors, who were desperate to maintain a slim lead.
Emery executed a triple substitution, which included bringing on Watkins for Rashford.
However, in the closing moments of injury time, Mendes rounded Martinez and netted the third goal, granting PSG a significant advantage.
