PARIS — Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored marvel targets to place Paris Saint-Germain on the right track for the UEFA Champions League semifinals as Luis Enrique’s workforce fought again from a aim down to say a 3-1 first-leg win towards Aston Villa on the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
With Morgan Rogers placing Villa forward towards the run of play on 35 minutes, the Premier League facet threatened a serious upset towards the newly topped Ligue 1 champions.
However Doué’s long-range curling strike 4 minutes later leveled the rating earlier than Kvaratskhelia’s solo aim on 49 minutes put PSG forward.
The house facet dominated the sport and may have scored extra, however with Nuno Mendes making it 3-1 in stoppage time, PSG will journey to Birmingham for subsequent Tuesday’s second leg as sturdy favorites to seal a spot within the final 4. — Mark Ogden
Martínez suffers defeat and earache in Paris
Emiliano Martínez has loved his wins towards French groups for membership and nation lately — and shoved these victories down the throats of his opponents along with his provocative antics — however he solely tasted defeat in Paris.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper most likely left the Parc des Princes with a nasty bout of earache too as a result of dwelling loudly booing him every time he touched the ball. Why? As a result of he’s the footballer that French followers like to hate, and he stirred them up by carrying a baseball cap mocking France‘s 2022 World Cup remaining loss to Argentina on the flight to Paris.
However PSG and their followers had the final chortle on Martínez on this event by sealing a 3-1 win that included two sensational targets from Doué and Kvaratskhelia. Martínez might do nothing about both of these targets, which beat him with sheer brilliance, and he was additionally helpless when Mendes made it 3-1 to PSG in stoppage time.
That third aim might be the one which suggestions this tie out of Villa’s attain as a result of they now have to win by two targets at Villa Park subsequent Tuesday simply to take the tie to penalties. But when that occurs, Martínez might be again within the function he is aware of finest because the tormentor of the French.
If it goes to penalties, count on fireworks. — Ogden
Magic from Doué and Kvara
There’s not a lot in widespread between the goal-scorers Doué and Kvaratskhelia. One is French and from Rennes, the opposite one is from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. One is nineteen and the opposite is 24. One was a star in Italy when the opposite one was simply making an attempt to make a reputation for himself in Ligue 1.
However they definitely have the identical love and expertise for the great thing about dribbling. And so they confirmed it once more on Wednesday night time with every of them scoring a surprising aim. Are you extra of a fan of the roller within the high nook from Doué, or the little hook and highly effective shot beneath the bar from a good angle like Kvaratskhelia?
They made the Parc des Princes explode and the cussed Villa protection explode too. PSG wanted a little bit of magic to win this recreation and take a bonus earlier than the second leg. Their two wingers did the job in fashion. — Julien Laurens
Villa have a right-back drawback they cannot remedy
This was not an evening to be an Aston Villa right-back, however the identical would be the case when PSG go to Villa Park for the second leg of this quarterfinal tie subsequent week.
Kvaratskhelia was in such sizzling kind for PSG that it will have been a Herculean job for any of Villa’s defenders to maintain the previous Napoli wideman quiet, however Matty Money and Axel Disasi each fell nicely wanting getting near him. Money began the sport for Unai Emery’s workforce, however from the early levels, the Poland worldwide was focused by PSG and Kvaratskhelia, and a first-half reserving made his job even harder.
So it was no shock when Emery changed Money at half-time with Disasi as a result of danger of one other yellow card and Villa being diminished to 10 gamers. However inside 4 minutes of coming into the motion, Disasi was turned inside out by Kvaratskhelia as he scored a surprising aim to place PSG 2-1 forward within the Parc des Princes.
Each Money and Disasi appeared utterly out of their depth, however one in all them will possible begin subsequent Tuesday, and the identical issues will come up every time Kvaratskhelia will get the ball. Emery might swap centre-half Ezri Konsa to right-back, however that would go away Villa brief in the midst of their defence. It is a massive drawback that does not have an apparent resolution. — Ogden
PSG’s comeback want shines once more
Paris have not been behind a lot this season, in Ligue 1 or within the Champions League. There are video games the place they could not come again, like away at Arsenal or towards Bayern Munich. Then, there are the instances when the younger Parisians — the youngest workforce left within the competitors — overturned a deficit. In opposition to Manchester Metropolis, they had been 2-0 down after 54 minutes, and they gained 4-2. On Wednesday, they discovered themselves a aim down from very a lot towards the run of play towards Aston Villa.
However they by no means panicked, stayed certain of themselves, their qualities and their recreation. It was all about being affected person towards a workforce with 11 males behind the ball virtually the entire time. “Belief yourselves and your qualities,” is what Luis Enrique repeats to his gamers on a regular basis. They did it once more. They’ve actual perception of their potential to beat any workforce and overcome any kind of adversity. — Laurens
Luis Enrique wins tactical battle towards Emery
This recreation was additionally a tactical battle between two sensible Spanish managers. Luis Enrique had an unimaginable document towards Emery and now much more so after one more win. Extra importantly, there was just one workforce on the pitch. Regardless of opening the sport on their solely first rate shot, Aston Villa had been outplayed for a lot of the recreation. They could not deal with the PSG counter-pressing and the motion of their wingers.
Villa deliberate to play very slender and double up huge, however they ran after the ball so much, and Martínez needed to make massive saves. Paris had been all the time going to attempt to isolate their wingers, but it surely’s the within runs of the 2 full-backs, Achraf Hakimi and Mendes, which brought about Villa lots of issues.
The Paris midfield bossed the sport, and PSG made Villa run a lot and endure. Luis Enrique’s plan labored completely once more. — Laurens
PSG concern Rashford, however Villa want to seek out him
Marcus Rashford has historical past with PSG having scored a late, late winner for Manchester United in a Champions League tie at Parc des Princes in 2019 and recollections of that aim nonetheless hang-out the French membership judging by the boos and jeers the ahead acquired every time he had the ball.
The issue for Villa is that it wasn’t usually proven, and if they’re to get by means of this tie, they should utilise Rashford’s tempo significantly better at Villa Park within the second leg.
Rashford had a few bursts that caught out the PSG defence and his first-time move to Youri Tielemans led to the midfielder crossing for Rogers to attain Villa’s first half aim. However in a 79-minute efficiency, Rashford managed simply 29 touches, and he left the sphere with an xG and xA of 0.00. That lack of menace wasn’t right down to Rashford, although — it was as a result of his teammates could not get the ball to him.
Rashford has his shortcomings — with one being his work price — however that could not be questioned on this recreation.
He merely reduce a pissed off determine as a result of he wasted an excessive amount of vitality making runs that weren’t rewarded by his teammates. That has to vary if Villa are to remain within the Champions League. — Ogden
