Paris Saint-Germain staves off Villa comeback to reach Champions League semifinals
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain staved off a gallant fightback by Aston Villa to reach the Champions League semifinals despite a 3-2 loss to the English club on Tuesday.
Holding a 3-1 lead from last week’s quarterfinal first leg, PSG built a four-goal cushion thanks to goals by full backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes inside 27 minutes at Villa Park.
Villa, cheered on by Prince William, roared back thanks to a deflected shot before halftime by Youri Tielemans and then goals in a two-minute span from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa by the 57th.
Only a string of fine saves from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Villa a fourth goal that would have taken the match to extra time.
PSG advanced 5-4 on aggregate to knock out a second Premier League team, after Liverpool in the round of 16. Next up could be another in Arsenal, which leads Real Madrid 3-0 from the first leg.
The French champions advanced to the semifinals for the third time in five seasons and this time they’ve done it without their “galacticos,” with Neymar, Lionel Messi and most recently Kylian Mbappé having left the club.
Before the return leg against Villa, this new-look PSG was being talked up as a potential Champions League winner but that viewpoint might be checked given the way the team nearly collapsed at Villa Park.
Donnarumma ended up being its savior, diving full length to claw away a powerful shot by Marcus Rashford and a header by Tielemans, and then standing tall to keep out Marco Asensio — a player on loan from PSG — when the playmaker was clean through.
Then, with virtually the last kick of the game, Villa substitute Ian Maatsen sent in a volley that might have been swerving into the corner, only for Willian Pacho to block the shot near the line.
There was as much relief as joy in the celebrations of PSG’s players.
In Tuesday’s other quarterfinal, Barcelona advanced 5-3 on aggregate after losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the second leg.
