Aston Villa fall agonisingly short with epic PSG comeback to exit Champions League | OneFootball

Fairytale campaign ends at quarter-final stage but Unai Emery’s inspired side can holds their heads high

Paris Saint-Germain caused their travelling support plenty of stress as they came uncomfortably close to squandering a huge advantage over Aston Villa in a Champions League thriller.

The reigning French champions lost a pulsating quarter-final second leg 3-2 on the night at Villa Park but still progressed to the last four 5-4 on aggregate.

Leading 3-1 after the first leg in Paris last week, PSG would have been fully aware that a straightforward, professional performance was all that was required to see out the tie. And for a time, it seemed that was exactly what they would deliver.

Goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes had the visitors 2-0 up with less than half an hour on the clock on Tuesday evening, and a despondent hush fell over Villa Park as dreams of a comeback appeared to be cruelly quashed.

Or so it would seem. Youri Tielemans pulled one back before the break, though what seemed to be a mere consolation goal would soon trigger a considerable revolt.

A long-range John McGinn piledriver and Ezri Konsa tap-in separated by just two minutes followed the half-time break, pulling Villa within one of their guests on aggregate and putting them in front on the night as PSG were left to fight off the panic.

The two-minute blip would prove to be just that, however. Villa were denied by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on countless occasions in the remaining half an hour.

Ian Maatsen's rifled injury-time volley will have left thousands of Parisians holding their breath, but it too was blocked and quickly followed by the full-time whistle.

Villa can hold their heads high. They pushed PSG right to the limit, but could not quite force them beyond it.

PSG move on to face either Real Madrid or Arsenal in the semi-finals, while Villa’s focus now falls on trying to qualify for next year’s tournament as well as a looming FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.