According to reports, Unai Emery had promised a tough battle, and Aston Villa delivered. Neither the 3-1 defeat in the first leg nor the 0-2 loss against Paris Saint-Germain in Birmingham could break the English side; they resisted until the last minute of extra time. Extra time that was only nullified thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper made two incredible saves against Tielemans and Rashford when Villa Park fans were ready to celebrate a goal, preventing a heavier defeat for his team.

Luis Enrique failed to contain Aston Villa’s storm; a team that neutralized the creative French midfielders with Kamara and Onana. In fact, the Spanish coach fell into the trap of the English side’s direct play.

Emery ignored his midfielders, who were more physical than creative, and resorted to direct play in tough moments—a style that troubled Paris Saint-Germain.

The Unknown Paris Saint-Germain

The former Barcelona coach was frustrated on the sidelines. He was not satisfied with what he saw and sought solutions with his assistants. Enrique saw the same mistakes from the beginning of the season in his team—mistakes that had nearly eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Dembélé, who played as the lone striker, fought alone. Barcola performed no better than Doku (who was benched in Birmingham), and Kvaratskhelia created almost no threat on the left.

Enrique said after the match: “You should never be overconfident because a game can change in an instant. Aston Villa is a great team with quality players. We must pay attention to this and focus on the positives.”

Fortunately for Paris Saint-Germain, Donnarumma—often criticized—played the savior this time, securing his team’s qualification, which was at risk for over half an hour after Konsa’s 3-2 goal. The joy of PSG players at the final whistle, blown by referee José María Sánchez Martínez, reflected the anxiety they had endured in this stage. Aston Villa, who seemed like an easy opponent after the draw, nearly became a major problem.

Luis Enrique’s Historic Record

With the victory in England, Luis Enrique has reached the semifinals in both of his first two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain—a record for a club that has made it to the UEFA Champions League semifinals five times but only advanced once in 2020 against RB Leipzig. They lost the final that year to Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich.