Villa out despite dramatic win against PSG
Aston Villa 3 - 2 PSG (PSG won 5-4 on aggregate)
Aston Villa came agonisingly close to pulling off a famous comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, only to fall short on a night of high drama and raw emotion in the Champions League.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Villa’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals were dealt a huge blow early on, as two goals in the opening 30 minutes appeared to settle the tie. Emiliano Martínez’s uncharacteristic error gifted Achraf Hakimi the opener, before Nuno Mendes added a second to leave the hosts needing four unanswered goals.
But Villa, roared on by a ferocious home crowd, refused to lie down. Youri Tielemans gave them a lifeline with a deflected effort just after the half-hour mark, and from there, the match descended into glorious chaos.
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The second half was pure theatre. John McGinn ignited the comeback with a sublime strike from 20 yards, and within minutes, Ezri Konsa had turned the night on its head, finishing coolly after excellent work from Marcus Rashford.
With belief surging through the stands, Villa threw everything at the French champions. Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall, denying Rashford with a sensational fingertip save, reacting brilliantly to keep out Tielemans’ header, and then smothering at the feet of Marco Asensio.
In the end, PSG clung on and just about regained their composure to see out the tie. They now progress to the
Aston Villa pride after heroic display
Aston Villa supporters were full of pride for their team despite being knocked out. Many praised the players’ character and Unai Emery’s leadership. They all highlighted how far the club has come in recent years.
Tony P fan said was incredibly proud of Villa's performance, especially in the second half. “What a brilliant effort from the Villa boys. If it weren’t for their goalkeeper, we would have taken it to extra time and maybe even won.
Phil echoed this sense of pride despite the final result. “We had the chances to win it but just couldn’t take enough of them. Still, it was a massive second-half performance and the players gave it everything.”
Some Villa reaction from one of the player to last night's defeat youtu.be/UEDcRwizfwI?...
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Cheryl added: “To think how far we’ve come from the Championship. These performances are breath-taking and not something I ever expected to see as a Villa fan.”
Jimmy was another fan who summed up the mood by saying, “So proud. That match could have gone either way. It speaks volumes that we’re actually disappointed not to be in a Champions League semi-final. Just let that sink in.”
