- Aston Villa were denied a sensational Champions League comeback on Tuesday
- Saves from Donnarumma thwarted Aston Villa and the watching Prince William
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is it fair for Man United or Tottenham to go straight into the Champions League if they win the Europa League?
French newspaper L’Equipe appeared to take a cheeky dig at Aston Villa fan Prince William as they lauded the performance of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in their Champions League quarter-final.
Prince William was in the stands at Villa Park on Wednesday night to cheer on Unai Emery’s side, as they attempted to overturn a 3-1 first leg deficit to reach the semi-finals.
French champions PSG took a 2-0 lead on the night to extend their aggregate advantage, before Aston Villa threatened a stunning comeback by scoring three times.
PSG would ultimately cling on to secure a 5-4 aggregate win to reach the last four for the second straight year.
The French giants were indebted to the performance of Donnarumma, with the Italian goalkeeper making vital saves from Marcus Rashford, Youri Tielemans and Marco Asensio.
L’Equipe lauded the performance of the PSG No.1 with a nod to Prince William’s presence at the match.
French newspaper L’Equipe lauded Gianluigi Donnarumma’s display against Aston Villa
L’Equipe declared ‘God save Donnarumma!’ in a nod to Prince William’s presence at the match
Prince William and his son George watched Aston Villa agonsingly fall short in their comeback
The newspaper led with the headline ‘God save Donnarumma’ – a reference to ‘God save the king’ – as they claimed PSG’s presence in the semi-finals was down to the goalkeeper’s ‘heroic’ display.
‘Where would Paris Saint-Germain be this morning without Gianluigi Donnarumma? Perhaps not in the Champions League semi-finals,’ L’Equipe wrote, giving the goalkeeper an eight out of 10 rating.
‘Without him, this team could have fallen back into ways we no longer dared imagine and seen its dreams of greatness evaporate.
‘In the narratives of this European campaign, we must remember his two monstrous saves at the height of the Midlands storm. And then, in time, the term heroic performance will not be overused to describe what we saw on the Villa Park pitch.’
The PSG shot stopper led the French side’s ratings from L’Equipe at Villa Park, while midfielder Vitinha and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia their lowest scorers with 3/10.
L’Equipe, who are well known for their harsh player ratings, gave Aston Villa right back Matty Cash a 3/10 score for his performance in the quarter-final.
The full back was viewed as having been ‘overwhelmed’ in the early stages of the match as PSG raced into a 2-0 lead on the night.
‘[Bradley]Barcola’s speed made him difficult in the first half: he was overwhelmed from the start of the match, and on the move that opened the scoring,’ L’Equipe wrote.
Donnarumma produced several fine saves to help PSG fend off an Aston Villa fightback
Matty Cash was given the lowest rating with the full back seen as being ‘overwhelmed’
Emiliano Martinez was one of four Aston Villa players to be given 4/10 ratings by L’Equipe
John McGinn and Marcus Rashford were among Aston Villa’s highest ranked players
‘More comfortable attacking, he finally managed to block Barcola and his final cross could have been an assist.’
Four Aston Villa player were also given 4/10 ratings for their performances, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez, defenders Pau Torres and Lucas Digne, and midfielder Amadou Onana failing to impress.
Tielemans and John McGinn, who both scored on the night, were the Villans’ highest rated players with 7/10, followed by Marcus Rashford on 6/10.
PSG’s 5-4 aggregate victory over Aston Villa saw the French champions reach a four Champions League semi-final in six years.
PSG now await the winners of the quarter-final between Arsenal and Real Madrid.
The Gunners hold a commanding 3-0 lead over the defending champions from the first leg and will be aiming to complete the job in the Spanish capital on Wednesday night.
