Other Competitions
UCL Preview: PSG Head to Villa to seal semifinal spot
With a 3-1 first-leg lead and the return of Marquinhos in defence, Paris Saint-Germain have a big leg up as they head to Villa Park in tomorrow's quarterfinal match -- read on for our preview as the Ligue 1 McDonald's champions look to secure their spot in the competition's last four.
The champions refreshed
After an impressive display last midweek at the Parc des Princes, the champions were given the weekend off, their match against FC Nantes pushed forward until April 29. With time to restore themselves -- and the crucial return of captain Marquinhos in central defence, PSG will be ready to face down a Villa side who had struggled to break down already-relegated Southampton this weekend. Manager Luis Enrique has his side going from strength to strength in this competition, headlined already by one impressive away performance in England, their defeat of Liverpool at Anfield.
Despite these positives, Enrique was quick to dismiss the notion that they would be favorites to progress, despite their freshness and lead, saying, "Favourites? The road to the Champions League is paved with favourite teams that were eliminated. We won the first leg, but we're not going forward with any certainty, because we have this ambition to win. We want to show that we have the level to reach the semi-finals." Based on their recent play, that level is certainly there, and Enrique and his squad will be eager to prove it.
Match Eve! ⚔️#UCL | #AVFCPSG pic.twitter.com/3zy0mMSTuZ
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 14, 2025
Long odds for Villa
As for the hosts, they showed their strength in attack last midweek, and the likes of Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers give them several dangerous options, and manager Unai Emery has even admitted he could play Rashford and Watkins together up front if pressed for goals -- no doubt this trip to Villa Park will be one of the sternest challenges PSG have faced this season, with the Spanish manger relaying a quiet confidence pre-match, despite long odds. After all, it was Emery who was on the wrong end of one of the greatest comebacks in the competition's history, Barcelona's 6-1 defeat of his own PSG in 2017.
Speaking to the press, he mentioned this but also that it would give him strength, saying, "I have experiences of comebacks. Positive and negative. But now, it’s something different. We want to write the history of Aston Villa. Last year in the Conference League, this year in the Champions League and hopefully for years to come in Europe." To do so will require a historic night, and against a canny PSG, it will be a monumental task.
Predicted Lineups:
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Ramsey, Rashford (or Watkins)
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Barcola (or Doué), Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
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