Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa exemplified the intense drama that characterizes knockout football. Despite losing the second leg 3-2 at Villa Park, PSG advanced to the semifinals with a 5-4 aggregate score. The match began with an electric atmosphere as PSG's Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes quickly put their team ahead, establishing a two-goal cushion that seemed to secure their progression . However, Aston Villa displayed remarkable resilience in front of their home crowd.
Paris Saint-Germain kept alive their dream of a first Champions League title on Tuesday by squeezing past Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate after a thrilling second leg of their quarterfinal which the English side won 3-2.
Ahead 3-1 from the first leg, PSG appeared to have sealed the contest within the first half-hour as their marauding fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes scored from two flowing counter-attacks to stun the Villa Park crowd.
Youri Tielemans revived hope with a 34th-minute deflected goal before Villa stunned the visitors early in the second half with two goals in two minutes from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa.
Barcelona and Paris-Saint Germain have booked their places in the semifinals of the Champions League but were heavily tested by Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, respectively, in the quarterfinal second legs.
Barca went through with a 5-3 aggregate win, despite losing 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, with Serhou Guirassy hitting a hat-trick.
PSG were confident on arrival and will depart with a bounce, despite the late scare. Those who travelled across the channel in crammed camper vans made sure to pack crates of fireworks. Luis Enrique, in a bomber jacket, was uberrelaxed on the eve of this match but by the end he was on the pitch feeding Ousmane Dembélé instructions to box off the tie.
Ian Maatsen to send a volley spinning towards the bottom corner of the PSG goal with 28 seconds of stoppage time to play, only for Willian Pacho to prevent the ball advancing. PSG simply did not expect a night quite like this. Villa, whose journey to this point began in earnest with that boisterous win against Bayern Munich, hope there is a few more of these to come next season.
Aston Villa's response was both commendable and thrilling. Goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Ezri Konsa not only leveled the match but also reignited hopes for a dramatic turnaround in the tie . Nevertheless, PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as a pivotal figure; his crucial saves ensured that PSG maintained their aggregate lead despite Villa's fervent resurgence. This performance underscores Donnarumma's importance to PSG’s aspirations in this year's tournament .
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