Paris Saint-Germain edged into the Champions League semi-finals after surviving a ferocious Aston Villa comeback at a raucous Villa Park on Tuesday night. Despite losing 3-2 on the night, the French side progressed 5-4 on aggregate after an enthralling quarter-final second leg.
Villa, trailing 3-1 from the first leg in Paris, were quickly on the ropes after Achraf Hakimi capitalized on Emiliano Martinez’s error, and Nuno Mendes added a second to leave the hosts needing four goals. But Unai Emery’s men, roared on by a thunderous home crowd, refused to fold.
Youri Tielemans gave Villa hope with a deflected strike before John McGinn and Ezri Konsa turned the game on its head in the second half. Suddenly, PSG were clinging on, their composure shattered under relentless pressure.
But goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall. The Italian produced a string of world-class saves—denying Marcus Rashford, Tielemans, and Marco Asensio—to preserve PSG’s narrow aggregate lead.
Villa bowed out with pride, having taken a star-studded PSG side to the brink. For PSG, it’s relief more than celebration, and they’ll now face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semi-final. But on this night, the story belonged as much to Villa’s valiant fight as PSG’s escape.
Paris Saint Germain narrowly advanced to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after surviving a ferocious Aston Villa comeback in a thrilling second-leg encounter at Villa Park. Despite a 3–2 defeat on the night, PSG progressed 5–4 on aggregate, largely thanks to a heroic display from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Unai Emery’s side, trailing 3–1 from the first leg in Paris, faced a monumental task. That mountain became steeper within the first 30 minutes when PSG struck twice through rapid counterattacks. Achraf Hakimi pounced on a rare Emiliano Martinez error in the 11th minute, slotting home after the Villa goalkeeper pushed a routine shot into his path. Sixteen minutes later, Nuno Mendes added a second, curling in a low shot off the post to silence the home crowd and put PSG 5–1 up on aggregate.
However, Villa refused to surrender. In front of a fervent home crowd, the hosts sparked a remarkable resurgence. Youri Tielemans gave them a lifeline in the 34th minute with a deflected effort past Donnarumma. That goal reignited Villa’s belief and set the stage for a dramatic second half.
John McGinn, a constant driving force in midfield, made it 2–2 on the night with a 20-yard strike in the 55th minute that nicked off a PSG defender and wrong-footed the keeper. Just two minutes later, Villa took the lead on the night when Ezri Konsa finished coolly after a brilliant dribble and assist from Marcus Rashford.
With Villa just a goal away from forcing extra time, the match descended into chaos as PSG clung on under relentless pressure. Donnarumma produced three world-class saves to preserve PSG’s aggregate lead. He tipped over Rashford’s rising shot, clawed away a powerful Tielemans header, and denied substitute Marco Asensio in a one-on-one.
Despite Villa’s intensity, PSG managed to regain composure in the final minutes and saw out the tie, securing their place in the semi-final, where they will face either Real Madrid or Arsenal.
For Aston Villa, it was a night of mixed emotions. They lost the tie but won hearts with courage, resilience, and attacking verve. The standing ovation they received at full-time was a testament to how far Emery’s side has come in this European campaign, which included victories over Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
“Very proud of the boys and what we’ve done tonight,” Konsa said post-match. “The two goals at the start killed us, but we showed great belief and character to get back into the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
PSG captain Marquinhos acknowledged the difficulty of the contest. “Aston Villa made it very tough for us,” he said. “But we did what we had to do. It’s a difficult competition, but we’re improving and we believe we can go all the way.”
On a night when Villa came agonizingly close to one of the great Champions League comebacks, Donnarumma proved to be the difference and kept PSG’s European dream alive.