PSG 3 Aston Villa 1: Late goal gives Villa big Champions League mountain
The 27th shot might have been the killer.
Just when Villa looked set to escape Paris beaten but still alive in this Champions League quarter-final, a goal in stoppage time from Nuno Mendes means they now have a mountain to climb in next week’s second leg.
Mendes beat Emi Martinez from close range with the home side’s 27th attempt of the night to cap a dominant performance.
The scoreline was more than fair but for Villa, agonising too.
Unai Emery’s men already knew they would have to be near perfect to emerge through the tie against the manager's former club, after getting a close look at just how good their opponents are.
Yet it was Villa who snatched the lead and for nearly four minutes between Morgan Rogers’ goal and Desire Doue’s equaliser the Parc des Princes was shrouded in an air of disbelief, the only noise coming from 2,000 delirious travelling supporters.
Villa's most famous supporter, Prince William, watching on from the stands with eldest son George, was among those celebrating wildly.
It could not last. Doue fired home from 25 yards, before Khvicha Kvaratshelia fired in off the post early in the second half. Martinez, booed loudly throughout on his return to France, might have done better with both goals.
But at a point PSG were rampant and threatened to blow Villa away, Emery’s men held firm.
That is what made Mendes’ late strike all the more galling. At 2-1, Villa would have had belief. At 3-1, it feels like they need a miracle.
Martinez, who had the colours of the Argentina flag in his hair, seemed to time his emergence for the warm-up to coincide with that of the home goalkeepers but it did not prevent the home supporters making their displeasure known, the Villa shot-stopper the recipient of predictable loud boos.
Yet this was not to be Martinez’s night. Instead, it was another demonstration of PSG’s excellence as they more than lived up to the favourites tag.
The focus of the noise immediately before kick-off was on supporting the home side. It was loud and inspired the team into a strong start, Vitinha bringing the first save from Martinez inside the opening three minutes with a low shot which the keeper held diving to his right.
Villa could not get out of their own half. The first 16 minutes saw Emery’s team complete just 16 passes.
But PSG could find no way past Martinez. The keeper’s second save of the night was impressive, a reflex effort to push Ousmane Dembele’s rising drive over the bar.
Quite often, Villa’s defence were saving Martinez from exertion. Nuno Mendes twice saw shots blocked. In between, Vitinha curled an effort just over the bar.
Gianluigi Donnarumma in the home goal was largely a spectator but then suddenly, Villa were ahead.
McGinn barged Mendes off the ball and picked out Rashford on the left. The latter’s through ball sent Youri Tielemans scampering into the box and when he sent a cross low to the far post the arriving Rogers could not miss. Villa’s 2,000 travelling supporters were celebrating before the shot even left his foot.
The dream lasted less than four minutes. Doue almost beat Martinez with a low shot which the keeper pushed on to the post. From the corner, the ball was worked into the forward’s path and his curling effort from 25 yards went in off the bar. Martinez dropped his head. You wondered whether the keeper had misjudged it.
Emery made a change at the break, replacing the booked Cash with Axel Disasi. But it was the latter who was then turned by Kvaratskhelia, just before he launched a vicious shot in off the post to complete the turnaround.
Villa were now in dangerous territory. Martinez made a diving save to deny Achraf Hakimi as the hosts went in for the kill. Hakimi also had the ball in the net, only to be denied by a raised flag.
Attacks from the visitors were rare but when Rogers did get a sight at goal, he sent the finish too close to Donnarumma.
Emery brought Asensio off the bench to face his former club and the forward saw a shot deflect wide.
Villa continued to defend stoutly but in stoppage time Mendes, up from left back, was picked out and he turned Ezri Konsa before lifting a finish over Martinez.
PSG (4-3-3): Donnarumma, Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz (Zaire-Emery 71), Doue (Barcloa 71), Dembele, Kvaratskhelia Subs not used: Kimpembe, Ramos, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Mbaye, Tenas (gk), Safonov (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash (Disasi HT), Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans (Onana 79), McGinn (Maatsen 79), Rogers, Ramsey, Rashford (Watkins 79) Subs not used: Mings, Bogarde, Barkley, Olsen (gk), Proctor (gk).
