According to reports, Unai Emery fell to the ground twice in frustration, but Luis Enrique left Villa Park with Paris Saint-Germain, who advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals under intense pressure.

Unai Emery, with his impressive European track record, took his team to the brink of the Champions League semifinals last night but ultimately fell short. Villa turned a 0-2 deficit against Paris into a 3-2 win in a thrilling night at Villa Park, but it wasn’t enough to advance. However, Villa could have scored a fourth goal in the dying seconds to at least force extra time.

Emery’s reactions to missed chances by Konsa and Matheus were particularly striking. In the 71st minute, Konsa, who had already scored, nearly added another with a header from a corner but failed to make contact, squandering the opportunity.

The climax came in the final minutes when Pacho’s decisive block sent Paris through to the next round.

In the last minute, Matheus unleashed a powerful volley that might have found the corner of the net, but William Pacho’s block shattered the hosts’ dreams. Emery, in disbelief, buried his face in the ground and lay flat—a reaction that showed the immense pressure he was under and how much he regretted the missed chance. As Matheus’ volley electrified the stadium, Emery clutched his head, dropped to his knees, and then lay on the pitch.

Villa came agonizingly close to forcing extra time and handing a humiliating defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, one of the tournament’s main contenders, but Luis Enrique’s men ultimately held firm.

Emery said after the match: “When we were 2-0 down, the gap was significant, but today we competed exceptionally. The players followed my plans and remained composed. They were also troubled by our pressing. In Paris, we lacked that final moment. Today, after the 3-2 scoreline, we fell short in the last 20 minutes and should have pressured them more to tire them out and get a result. Of course, we can be happy and satisfied. The fans enjoyed it, their energy was contagious, and we were very confident here. I thank the supporters.”

Villa, playing in the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 1983, believed until the last moment that they could reach the final four. However, Paris Saint-Germain, despite finishing 15th in the group stage, remains one of the tournament’s main contenders and has now joined Barcelona in the semifinals.

Tonight, Arsenal will look to advance after a 3-0 win over Real Madrid, while Inter Milan will defend their 2-1 advantage against Bayern Munich.