Paris Saint-Germain held on after a tense second half to defeat Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Despite a 3-2 loss in the second leg at Villa Park on Tuesday, the French side advanced to the next round thanks to their commanding 3-1 lead from the first leg.
The match started with PSG in control. Full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes scored early goals within the first 27 minutes, increasing PSG’s aggregate advantage to 5-2.
However, Aston Villa mounted a spirited comeback. Youri Tielemans pulled a goal back for Villa just before the break, and then in the second half, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa scored in quick succession, making it 2-2 on the night and leaving Villa needing one more goal to force extra time.
Despite the pressure, PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma played a crucial role in keeping the home team at bay. His crucial saves prevented Villa from completing their comeback and causing another dramatic Champions League collapse.
