Nuno Mendes scored deep into stoppage time to seal a 3-1 victory for Paris Saint-Germain against Aston Villa in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, April 9th. The late goal dealt a significant blow to Villa’s hopes after they had initially taken a shock lead.
The Premier League side stunned the newly crowned French champions in the 35th minute when Morgan Rogers arrived at the far post to convert Youri Tielemans’ cross, delighting the travelling supporters, which included the Prince of Wales.
However, Villa’s lead lasted only four minutes. Desire Doué equalized for PSG with a magnificent curling strike from 20 yards that left goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez helpless.
PSG’s momentum continued after the break, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put the hosts ahead in the 49th minute. The Georgian winger skillfully turned past substitute Axel Disasi before drilling a powerful shot high past Martinez at his near post.
Martinez, who endured taunts from the home crowd relating to his 2022 World Cup final antics, made several fine saves – notably denying Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi – to keep Villa within touching distance.
Just as it seemed Villa would escape with a manageable one-goal deficit, Mendes struck in the dying seconds of stoppage time. He pounced in the box, wrong-footing Martinez before firing into the roof of the net, leaving the Villa players visibly despondent.
PSG Take Control, Villa Face Uphill Task
While Villa battled valiantly, PSG’s superior quality eventually told. Luis Enrique’s side, built around dynamic talents like Kvaratskhelia and Doué rather than the previous era’s superstars, demonstrated the form that saw them beat Manchester City in the group stage and eliminate Liverpool in the last 16.
The late goal provides PSG with a significant advantage ahead of the return leg at Villa Park next Wednesday, April 16th. Former PSG manager Unai Emery now faces a considerable challenge to guide his Aston Villa side into the semi-finals against one of the competition’s in-form teams.
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