PSG and Aston Villa will face each other for the first time in a competitive fixture. Parc des Princes will host the first leg of the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, where current states are giving an extensive edge to home side PSG. Aston Villa have built a young and deep squad that perfectly fits Unai Emery’s tactical blueprint.
Both teams head into this clash in high spirits, each riding a six-game winning streak. The absence of Marquinhos will be a cause for concern for PSG. However, for the Maroons, right-winger Leon Bailey remains doubtful about tomorrow.
Against Liverpool, PSG employed a high-intensity counter-attacking approach. Known for their strong ball recovery rate, Liverpool were matched by PSG in that aspect during the Round of 16, with both sides going toe-to-toe in regaining possession. Liverpool regained 80 times, as the number is 79 for PSG. Alternatively, Aston Villa likes to sit in deep and move the ball in a transition mood. Facing Villa, PSG have to be consistent in positional attacks.
Both Teams Riding High on Form Ahead of First-Ever Clash
In contrast to sitting in the defensive third, Aston Villa acquired 53.4% of the ball possession. Mostly, they use positional attacking in two ways. First of all, They look to deliver early crosses from wide areas as soon as possible. On average, they complete 2.5 accurate crosses (21.5%) per game. Second, if the wide players have enough time and space, they prefer less cross and work more with the ball. Right winger Leon Bailey is an excellent fit in this scenario. Playing over 8 games in the Champions League, he made 22 progressive carries, while midfielder and forward Morgan Rogers has slight upper numbers (30). Morgan shows excellent awareness in positioning himself on the right to receive passes effectively.
By comparison, PSG uses numerous tactical options. Mostly, they use false 9 to disrupt the opponent’s shape by finding optimal positions at the moment, either to draw defenders out or create space for teammates. This fluidity allows for quick passing sequences, one-touch or two-touch combinations, or direct balls played behind for runners exploiting the space. Qualityful forward line like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembélé, and Gonçalo Ramos is vowing them to win the tournament this season.
Aston primarily leveraged 4-4-2 to form a compact defense, forcing the opposition team to play using width. It’s enjoyable as Enrique frequently employs his wingers and fullbacks to overload the flanks, generating numerical superiority in the final third.
Challenge for Villa to Penetrate Against PSG Defence
In the PSG Aston Villa match, PSG foundationally develop a 4-3-3 compressed backline, Craft it tough to find space in the final third. Since Villa essentially applied going wide and relying on the cross, there will be more responsibility on the soldiers of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, and Marco Asensio to Identify space with off-the-ball movements. Throughout the tournament, Youri Tielemans (33) and Lucas Digne (25) provided the most crosses on the team. Marco Asensio has also been remarkably clinical for Aston Villa, scoring 8 goals in just 10 matches with an expected goals (xG) tally of 4.45.
Emery’s team is renowned for their fluid attacking play, featuring constant player rotation and dynamic movement across various pitch areas. It will also be interesting to see how Aston Villa attempt to nullify PSG’s counter-pressing.
Probable Playing XI
PSG – 4-3-3
Donnarumma
Hakimi-L. Beraldo-W. Pacho-N. Mendes
Neves-Vitinha-F. Ruiz
Barcola-Dembélé-K. Kvaratskhelia
ASTON VILLA – 4-2-3-1
Martínez
Cash-E. Konsa-T. Mings-L. Digne,
Kamara-Y. Tielemans,
M.Asensio-M. Rogers-M. Rashford,
Watkins
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