Aston Villa 3-2 Paris (agg: 4-5): Visitors through in thriller

Early goals by Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes sent Paris to the semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate after the visitors survived a sensational Aston Villa comeback at Villa Park.

Match in brief: Paris hold off Villa fightback

Captain John McGinn after scoring Villa's second goalAston Villa FC via Getty Images

In a setting where they had been near-perfect in this season's competition, the hosts set off briskly in pursuit of a comeback after last week's 3-1 defeat in Paris, winning two corners inside the first four minutes.

Villa's necessarily open approach left space for pacy opponents, and Paris took full advantage when Nuno Mendes' sublime pass to the left released Bradley Barcola, whose cross was pushed back into the path of Achraf Hakimi by Emiliano Martínez, allowing the marauding full-back to side-foot a precise finish beyond the goalkeeper.

The 2019/20 finalists had Gianluigi Donnarumma to thank for keeping out Pau Torres' strike from a tight angle, then scored again when Nuno Mendes completed another classy counterattack with a ruthless finish via a post.

Nuno Mendes put Paris 5-1 ahead on aggregate in the 27th minute of the second legGetty Images

There were muted cheers from the home fans when Youri Tielemans' curling attempt found the back of the net via a heavy touch off Willian Pacho 11 minutes before the break, but even the most optimistic of their number might not have anticipated the gripping drama that was to come during the second period.

Villans captain John McGinn was next to profit from a deflection when his long-range shot looped over Donnarumma, who moments later was at full stretch to tip over Marcus Rashford's shot from the edge of the penalty area.

There was little the Italy international could do when Ezri Konsa guided in a precise third goal for Villa following excellent trickery from Rashford, and Tielemans would have drawn the Premier League club level on aggregate but for a magnificent stop from Donnarumma to turn away a powerful header.

Gianluigi Donnarumma made a string of saves to prevent Villa from achieving parity in the tieAFP via Getty Images

Marco Asensio – on loan from Paris – drew another exceptional save from the Paris No1, who used his legs to keep out the substitute's shot in a one-on-one with ten minutes of a gloriously tense decider remaining.

The Ligue 1 champions needed a crucial block from Pancho to repel a goal-bound Ian Maatsen volley at the last, but Luis Enrique's players kept their collective nerve, holding on to edge through and end Villa's memorable debut in the Champions League.

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Ousmane Dembélé (Paris)

"He was key to his team's dominance in the first half, dropping between the lines and making penetrative runs in behind as well as being a threat in transition. The forward worked tirelessly for his team after the break, constantly pressing."

PlayStation® Player of the Match Ousmane Dembélé

UEFA Technical Observer Group

Matthew Howarth, UEFA reporter at Villa Park

It was not the fairy-tale outcome Villa fans will have dreamed of, but what a second-half display from Unai Emery's team. The visitors appeared in total control after efforts from Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, and even Tielemans' strike late in the first half appeared to be nothing more than a consolation. However, the Villans very nearly pulled off the unthinkable and had it not been for two smart saves from Donnarumma, they may well have forced extra time. Their European adventure is at an end, but Villa can reflect with pride on an outstanding campaign.

Reaction 

Unai Emery, Aston Villa manager: "I am very proud of everything we did. To get to this level is the best step forward to get to the level I want to be at with Aston Villa. We competed well in the first leg, but not enough. We were even better today and close to coming back. The feeling with our supporters here was fantastic. The crowd were fantastic; they enjoyed it and transmitted the energy. Even at 2-0, we were keeping the same feeling."

Ezri Konsa, Aston Villa defender: "We showed great belief and character to get back into it. At half-time, we felt we had nothing to lose. We wanted to go out there and prove a point. We had chances – I think I scored the hardest one. I don't think we could have done any more. Scoring three goals against such a strong side, we can be very proud. We've done so well to reach the quarter-finals and it's been a great campaign. Once the dust settles, we can be very pleased."

John McGinn, Aston Villa captain: "I am proud of my team-mates and the club – we have come a long way. We were so, so close, but we just fell a little bit short. We had chances to take the game to extra time but we've got to be proud about the way we come back against one of the best teams in the world. We never gave up. It was chaos, but we gave absolutely everything and every Aston Villa supporter will leave with a huge sense of pride."

Luis Enrique, Paris manager: "I'm not going to forget this match in a long time. This competition is great – you have to manage many things and it's always difficult to play away. It was a strange match because we dominated from the first minute and scored two goals, which was great. After that, we committed some mistakes and paid for it. When you concede two goals in three minutes with that kind of atmosphere in a stadium, it's always difficult. But it's important for us, because we can grow from that suffering."

Vitinha, Paris midfielder: "The most important thing is qualifying for the semi-finals. It wasn't easy, but we managed to hold on to our advantage until the end. When we aren't at our best, we can be punished like we were today. It was challenging. Early in the second half, with the crowd behind them, [Villa] made it very difficult for us. But we made it through and now we can look forward to the semi-finals."

Marquinhos, Paris captain: "We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We had belief, kept our intensity and we believed until the end that we were going to go through. It is such a difficult competition but we are getting better and better, and we are proving we are good team. There is belief that we can go all the way and win it this year."

Key stats

• Paris have played 96 Champions League matches since they were involved in a 0-0 draw, against Real Madrid in the 2015/16 group stage.
• This was the French side's ninth Champions League quarter-final and their fourth successive aggregate victory.
• Hakimi is the first Moroccan to score in the last eight since Marouane Chamakh for Bordeaux against Lyon in 2010.
• Villa have won 11 of their last 13 European home matches (D1 L1).
• Emery's team finished with five wins and one draw in their six home matches of the campaign.
• They are unbeaten in 18 home matches in all competitions (W12 D6), winning the last five.

Paris manager Luis Enrique congratulates winger Khvicha KvaratskheliaUEFA via Getty Images

Fantasy star performers

John McGinn: 10 points
Ezri Konsa: 9 points
Ousmane Dembélé: 8 points
Achraf Hakimi: 8 points
Nuno Mendes: 8 points

Line-ups

Aston Villa: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne (Maatsen 76); Onana (Ramsey 67), Kamara; McGinn (Asensio 66), Tielemans (Barkley 88), Rogers; Rashford (Watkins 76)

Paris: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pacho, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz; Barcola (Doué 58), Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia