Three things learned as PSG survive Aston Villa storm to secure semi-final place | OneFootball

Fresh from their break, after being granted a weekend off Ligue 1 duties, PSG returned to UEFA Champions League action looking to complete the job after an impressive first leg. Les Parisiens travelled to Villa Park with a 3-1 advantage in hand.

As one would have expected, the Premier League outfit came out of the blocks with real pace, aiming to put the Ligue 1 champions under pressure high up the pitch. This application of early pressure proved costly, with Hakimi scoring an early goal to put the tie to bed.

Through by the skin of their teeth

It’s 10 years to the date since Luis Suarez embarrassed the PSG defence at the Camp Nou in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie. Such performances in previous seasons have seen Paris Saint-Germain criticised for their habit of cracking under pressure during the big moments in Europe’s premier competition. In the first half an hour, with a 4-goal cushion in hand, the mood couldn’t have felt more different.

Put under pressure from minute one, Emery instructed his players to press the PSG defence to try and force errors high up the pitch, leading to dangerous opportunities. This didn’t yield dividends straight away with PSG scoring two goals but when Youri Tielemans reduced the deficit, something changed.

Villa Park is a storied ground known for impressive atmospheres, as shown during the match, with the ability to turn a game on its head. Goals from Ezri Konsa and John McGinn appeared to have PSG rattled and caused the stadium ti erupt with their team one goal away from parity, However, they were able to survive the storm posed by the Birmingham-based club and confirm their spot in the final four.

Full backs on the attack

A noticeable characteristic of Luis Enrique’s PSG is the lack of a recognised striker in the starting eleven. Nevertheless, the knsck in front of goal from his fullbacks showed no number nine is not an issue for the Ligue 1 champions.

Rather than forwards, it would be his full backs that the Les Parisiens boss would have to thank for putting the tie to bed relatively early on. Both Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes found the back of the net in the opening 30 minutes. The Moroccan international was able to capitalise on a mistake from the Villa stopper during one of his many forays forward, and Mendes fired home, after a brilliant first touch, via the post.

The overlapping runs and inverted positioning adopted from both players on the night paid dividends. Their added presence in attack, creating an overload and leaving a man unmarked, caught the Villa defence out on the occasions where Luis Enrique’s men were able to break the opposition press. Who needs strikers when you have full-backs?

Donnarumma – the difference

After conceding two goals in quick succession, PSG’s advantage hung by a thread. The 4 goal cushion held by Les Parisiens disappeared within a matter of minutes. Many would have expected that with the wind in the sails of the home team that this advantage would have disappeared, and it nearly did, only for Donnarumma to produce two vital stops.

Youri Tielemans, looking for his second goal of the match, directed a header towards the top-left corner as everything Aston Villa touched looked to result in a goal. With the Ligue 1 club’s advantage set to disappear, the Italian international produced a save at full stretch to keep PSG’s slender lead intact.

The second save denied ‘a what could’ve been’ moment. Marco Asensio, on loan at Aston Villa from PSG, was played through one-on-one with Donnarumma, and a goal that looked written in the script seemed destined to happen. However, the Les Parisiens stopper was out quickly to quash the danger and ruin any hopes of Asensio getting one over on his parent club.

Donnarumma endured a difficult night conceding three goals, yet these two vital interventions have proved difference between travelling back to Paris empty-handed or securing a date with Arsenal or Real Madrid in the next round of the competition.

GFFN | Liam Wraith