Aston Villa’s fairy-tale run in their debut UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign is teetering on the edge after a 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their quarter-final clash. Yet, Unai Emery’s side is far from waving the white flag.
Villa responded to their European disappointment in emphatic fashion, producing a convincing 3-0 win at Southampton over the weekend. The victory not only revived their Premier League top-five ambitions but also made history as the first time a Premier League team had three different substitutes score in a single match.
Though the odds are against them, Emery and his players will draw confidence from history. The Spaniard has overturned first-leg away defeats in seven of 12 European ties. Villa also boast a strong record against French opposition at home (W3, L1), and have been formidable at Villa Park in European competition, winning ten of their last twelve matches there (D1, L1)—including their last three UCL home victories by multi-goal margins.
Meanwhile, PSG arrive in Birmingham fresh and focused after their weekend Ligue 1 fixture was postponed for Champions League preparations. The Parisians, who are desperate to finally lift the UCL trophy after finishing runners-up in 2020, have shown slight dominance over English sides this season (W3, L2), including a significant away win at Liverpool in the round of 16.
PSG’s track record at the UCL quarter-final stage is perfectly balanced (W4, L4). Encouragingly for Luis Enrique’s squad, they’ve progressed from 13 of 19 European ties after winning the first leg at home. However, they remain wary—two of their last five UCL away defeats have been by 2+ goal margins, both suffered at the hands of English clubs.
Villa will once again look to Morgan Rogers for inspiration. His opening goal in the first leg showcased his threat in the final third, and notably, all 15 of his scoring appearances for Villa have featured both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals. PSG’s danger man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, fresh off a spectacular goal in the first leg, is also in red-hot form, registering five goal involvements (3 goals, 2 assists) in his last four matches for club and country.
Hot stat: Villa boss Unai Emery is unbeaten in 12 of his last 13 European home matches as a manager (W11, D1, L1)—a sign that PSG will have to work for every inch at Villa Park.
With history, home form, and a tactically astute manager on their side, Aston Villa aren’t done dreaming just yet.
