Au revoir, Aston Villa. They will not have to clear space in the upper tier of Villa Park for the commentary of another European Cup-winning goal. Or not just yet, anyway. The class of 1982 remain unique in their history, just as the team of 2025 may prove for Paris Saint-Germain.
But if there was a way to exit the Champions League, this was it. Valiant and magnificent, Villa beat the potential champions of Europe on the night. They threatened a comeback to rival the Remontada Luis Enrique’s Barcelona produced to beat Unai Emery’s PSG in 2017. Two goals behind on the evening, trailing 5-1 on aggregate, Villa scored three times in response. Like Bayern Munich before them, Paris Saint-Germain were beaten in Birmingham. But if it was only over 90 minutes, there may be a legacy if the frailties Villa highlighted can be exposed by Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semi-final.
That is not Villa’s concern but they can depart the competition knowing they rattled PSG, rueing the reflexes of the brilliant Gianluigi Donnarumma and cherishing memories of a special night. There was Marcus Rashford, playing like a man possessed, his revival accelerated as he tore into PSG. There was John McGinn, powering a fightback in idiosyncratic fashion. There was Youri Tielemans, his terrific season garnished with their first goal. There was Ezri Konsa, slotting in his shot to put Villa 3-2 up, giving them half an hour to score the goal that would earn extra time.
It eluded them. Indeed, the closest they came was courtesy of the man they borrowed from the French capital. PSG have conjured some tragicomic ways to go out of the Champions League in the last decade. Had this been powered by a goal from Marco Asensio, a player they own, it would have been among the most galling. But Donnarumma saved his shot. The hero of Anfield was PSG’s rescuer at Villa Park, eliminating an English club again.
It took a combination of an inspired goalkeeper and flying full-backs to finish Villa off. PSG’s goals in the first half-hour showed they were kings of the break. For Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, counter-attack may have been the best form of defence.
It illustrated the buccaneering brilliance of this PSG team. It is not in the nature to sit on a scoreline. Rather than defending a 3-1 lead, their full-backs ran from deep in their own half to score. The opener may have had a particular popularity on the other side of the English Channel.
Emi Martinez, the bete noire of the French public, was culpable on a day when his bravado backfired. PSG scored with the last attack of the game in Paris and their first of note in Birmingham. Luis Enrique had brought back Bradley Barcola and was vindicated as the winger sped away to cross, Martinez parried it away from Ousmane Dembele and Hakimi, who had run 80 yards from his own back four, followed up to score.
What one full-back could do, another could emulate. Mendes had struck in the first leg. He scored in the second, too, bending in a shot from the edge of the box, found by Ousmane Dembele after a lightning break that carried PSG the length of the pitch.
So far, tres bien for PSG. They combatted rain, wind and cold, with bare-chested Parisians bouncing in inclement conditions. It contributed to a remarkable atmosphere. Villa Park has rarely been louder. They turned the volume up for Hi Ho Aston Villa. If PSG were not intimidated by the sound of Jeff Beck, the sight of John McGinn induced more worries.
The captain led the response. So did Tielemans. Aggrieved to be denied a penalty a minute earlier, he finished off a fine move that involved McGinn and Rashford, albeit aided by a telling touch off Pacho.
It was not the last one. He completed an unwanted double, McGinn’s shot looping up off him and over Donnarumma. A second goal in three minutes followed, Rashford surging the byline to pick out Konsa.
It came amid a fearless, ferocious start to the second half from Villa. Donnarumma, who had saved well from Pau Torres before the break, had to distinguish himself. Sandwiching McGinn’s goal, Donnarumma made very different but terrific saves from Rashford. The hero of Anfield clawed away a header from Tielemans. He denied Asensio.
But if he displayed defiance, PSG showed vulnerabilities. They were buffeted by Villa. Luis Enrique’s side are often relentless. Here Emery’s side were, attempting attack after attack, amassing 15 shots. They became just the fifth side to beat PSG this season. It was an extraordinary effort. And if it was in vain, there was still glory in the way in which they went out.
