Aston Villa v PSG match preview
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expects the atmosphere at Villa Park on Tuesday to be “very, very special” when the Premier League side face the daunting task of overcoming a two-goal deficit against a feared Paris Saint-Germain team who won at English leaders Liverpool in the previous round.
The Villans took a 35th-minute lead in Paris through Morgan Rogers, but their advantage lasted less than five minutes and PSG were ahead by the 49th as Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in quick succession.
Nuno Mendes’ 92nd-minute goal means Villa will start the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final 3-1 behind, but they have won four and drawn one of their home matches in this season’s competition, keeping four clean sheets and winning by at least two goals on three occasions.
“It’s going to be difficult, but we have to feel strong at home and try to prepare as best as possible,” said Emery, calling the decider a “possibility and opportunity”.
bet365 Champions League Winners Odds – Who Are The Favourites To Win the 2025 UCL?
“[We have to] try to transmit our energy, to get the supporters’ energy and then play the best football. When we are playing this [season our] best football, we can [overcome challenges].”
Luis Enrique celebrated his 100th match in charge of PSG in the first leg, and the Spaniard was particularly pleased with his players’ response to falling behind, which he described as a “particularly difficult moment for our confidence”.
“It was kind of a moment of doubt… the team showed personality and character,” added the 54-year-old, who won the 2014/15 Champions League with Barcelona.
“We always say that when you play a match of this importance, you have to control your emotions. It’s important because these games have ups and downs.”
Prepping for the quarter-final return leg
#AVFCPSG | #UCL pic.twitter.com/I50iPN8xhS
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 13, 2025
Aston Villa v Paris Saint-Germain team news
Leon Bailey missed Villa’s 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday – their fourth straight league victory – after a late fitness test, but Emery is hopeful the winger will be available against PSG.
Widemen Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen both came on against the Saints but will drop out of the matchday squad because they have not been included in the club’s European squad list.
PSG were not in action at the weekend and the early Ligue 1 winners have a full squad to choose from as they attempt to reach the final for a second consecutive campaign.
Fabian Ruiz must avoid a booking if the Spain midfielder is to be available for a potential semi-final first leg.
We believe. pic.twitter.com/InuNQ3pJCm
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 13, 2025
Aston Villa v Paris St-Germain expected line-ups
Aston Villa starting XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Rashford; Watkins
PSG starting XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
How to watch Villa v PSG: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00, with live coverage in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. Live streaming on a wide variety of devices is available through the Prime Video app.
Prime Video is included with a Prime Membership, which costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year in the UK and allows access to thousands of films and shows, including an increasing amount of sports content.
A 30-day free trial is available, and subscribers can sign up to Prime Video on its own for £5.99 per month.
