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16 Apr, 2025
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John Townley's Aston Villa player ratings as UCL dream ends despite dramatic 3-2 win over PSG
@Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Aston Villa's Champions League journey has come to an end after a 5-4 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain, but they went down fighting - beating the French champions 3-2 on the night. Villa started on the front foot and nearly opened the scoring within the first two minutes, as Marcus Rashford's corner whizzed past the far post following a flick-on from Youri Tielemans that deflected off Joao Neves. Unai Emery's side faced an uphill battle after Achraf Hakimi extended PSG's lead in the 11th minute, firing in from close range after Emi Martinez could only palm Bradley Barcola's cross into the right-back’s path. Villa found themselves 5-1 down on aggregate when Nuno Mendes finished off another devastating counter-attack. Tielemans gave Villa a glimmer of hope with a strike that deflected off Willian Pacho and past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Then, two goals in the space of three minutes swung the momentum in Villa’s favour, as John McGinn and Ezri Konsa reduced the aggregate deficit to just one goal. Donnarumma made a brilliant save to deny Tielemans shortly after Konsa fired through a crowd of bodies to give Villa the lead on the night. Konsa had a golden chance in the 70th minute to level the tie, but he failed to connect with Rashford’s delivery from a free-kick. That opportunity came shortly after Marco Asensio - who had come off the bench - was denied by Donnarumma in a one-on-one. PSG defender Willian Pacho then prevented Ian Maatsen a goal which would have taken the tie to extra-time as the Ecuador international cleared off the line in the third and final minute of stoppage time. Player ratings Emi Martinez Martinez will feel he should have done more to prevent Barcola’s cross from becoming a problem, especially with limited PSG options in the box. Hakimi then capitalised to give PSG the lead. The Argentina number one made a strong save to deny Ousmane Dembélé in the 77th minute and distributed the ball well throughout. 6 Matty Cash Cash gave as good as he got against Barcola, who was a menace down the flank. The right-back then faced the tough task of containing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but handled the challenge well. 7 Ezri Konsa In hindsight, Konsa should have gone for goal late in the first half after combining with Rogers in the box following a corner - he opted to find a teammate instead. However, he did find the net before the hour mark to make it 3-2. He later missed a golden opportunity to level the tie after failing to connect with Rashford’s cross. 8 Pau Torres Torres played a key role as Villa attempted to dominate possession in PSG’s half for large spells of the game. However, he was caught out a couple of times and struggled with PSG’s pace on the counter. 6 Lucas Digne Digne delivered several dangerous balls from the left and defended well against Kvaratskhelia in the first half. 7 Boubacar Kamara Kamara frequently won the ball back, allowing Villa to maintain pressure in the final third. His composure and tactical intelligence stood out. He wouldn't look out of place in any team - he plays a role in this Villa side to a level which few can. 8 Amadou Onana A surprise inclusion in the starting XI, Onana partnered effectively with Kamara and asserted himself against the PSG midfield duo of João Neves and Vitinha. He covered plenty of ground and contributed defensively and in transition. 7 John McGinn McGinn’s passion and tenacity were evident from the outset. He threw himself into duels and covered every blade of grass. Booked for an aggressive challenge on Kvaratskhelia, but his intensity lifted the crowd. Scored Villa’s equaliser on the night. Simply outstanding across both legs against PSG. 9* Youri Tielemans The Belgian's fourth goal of the season in the 34th minute gave Villa hope. Operating in the number 10 role, he linked play well and created opportunities for teammates. Donnarumma produced a stunning save to deny his header as Villa pushed for a fourth goal. 8 Morgan Rogers PSG struggled to contain Rogers, who consistently threatened when cutting in from the right onto his left foot. His dribbling and vision were instrumental in breaking down the opposition defence. 7 Marcus Rashford Had a big chance to equalise shortly after half-time, but Donnarumma smothered it quickly. Came close again in the 57th minute with a drilled effort that forced another good save. Provided the cross that Konsa should have turned in to level the tie. 8 Marco Asensio (for McGinn, 67'): Asensio passed up on a big chance to put Villa 4-2 ahead as Donnarumma denied him in a one-on-one. 6 Jacob Ramsey (for Onana, 67'): Ramsey played off the left when he came on as Tielemans slotted into the double pivot. 6 Ollie Watkins (for Rashford, 76'): Watkins would have been bitterly disappointed not to have started. He stretched the PSG defence after coming on. 6 Ian Maatsen (for Digne, 76): Maatsen came so close to being a hero - his effort was going in before Pacho cleared off the line. 7 Ross Barkley (for Tielemans, 88'): N/A Subs not used: Olsen, Proctor, Disasi, Mings, Bogarde, Bailey. Aston Villa: Tielemans (34'), McGinn (55'), Konsa (58') PSG: Hakimi (11'), Mendes (28') What did you make of Villa's performance? Tell us here
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