Aston Villa Defeat PSG in Thriller but Fall Short in Champions League Quarter-Final

Birmingham, April 15, 2025 — Aston Villa put on a spirited performance at Villa Park, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final. Despite the victory, the aggregate score of 5-4 in favour of PSG meant that the French side advanced to the semi-finals.

PSG took early control of the match, scoring twice in the first 30 minutes. Achraf Hakimi netted the opener in the 11th minute, followed by a goal from Nuno Mendes in the 27th, assisted by Ousmane Dembélé.

Villa responded just before halftime, with Youri Tielemans reducing the deficit in the 34th minute after a pass from John McGinn. McGinn then equalised in the 55th minute, giving the home crowd hope. Two minutes later, Ezri Konsa scored the third goal for Villa with an assist from Marcus Rashford, turning the match on its head at 3-2.

The scoreline, however, was not enough to overturn the 3-1 defeat from the first leg in Paris. Despite a valiant comeback, Unai Emery’s side were eliminated from the competition.

Both teams made several substitutions in the second half, aiming to shift the momentum. PSG introduced Bradley Barcola and removed Vitinha and Dusan Vlahovic in a tactical reshuffle, while Villa brought on players including Leon Bailey, Morgan Rogers, and Ross Barkley to chase the required goals.