PSG 3-1 Aston Villa: Nuno Mendes gives dominant hosts control of Champions League quarter-final

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·9 April 2025

PSG 3-1 Aston Villa: Nuno Mendes gives dominant hosts control of Champions League quarter-final

Unai Emery’s side have a mountain to climb in second leg at Villa Park

Nuno Mendes struck in stoppage-time to cement PSG’s control of their Champions League quarter-final tie with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in Paris.

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Villa were a little over a minute away from heading back home only one goal behind on aggregate, and that would have been as good as they could have asked for in a match they were largely dominated in, as PSG’s attacking stars pinned the visitors back almost from the very first whistle.

It was Unai Emery’s side, though, who took a shock lead against the run of play, as John McGinn won the ball back, Youri Tielemans played it across the face of goal and Morgan Rogers was there at the back post to provide the finish touch.

But the lead did not last even five minutes, as Doue cut onto his right foot and curled a sensational finish into the far corner, off the underside of the bar.

PSG then completed the turnaround early in the second period after another moment of individual inspiration. Kvaratskhelia dragged the ball past Axel Disasi in the box and then squeezed in a wonderful strike at the near post past Emi Martinez.

The hosts pushed for a third to really take charge of the tie but it looked as though they would be held at bay, for all the likes of Kvaratskhelia, Doue and then Bradley Barcola when he came on presented a constant threat.

The final say, though, went to Mendes with what could prove to be a pivotal goal. Ousmane Dembele played the left-back in and he cooly chopped inside, sitting down Martinez and lifting a finish into the empty net.

It leaves Villa with a huge task on their hands in the second leg next week, while the manner in which PSG backed up their two performances against Liverpool in the previous round further strengthened their claims to being one of the big favourites to win the competition.

The French side, who have already wrapped up the Ligue 1 title, were beaten by Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in the league phase of the competition, but appear to have now firmly clicked into gear in their bid for a first Champions League success.