Unai Emery speaks to the press forward of the second leg of Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final towards Paris Saint-Germain (Paul ELLIS)
Unai Emery says his gamers can feed off the power of their followers as Aston Villa search to overturn a 3-1 deficit in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg towards Paris Saint-Germain.
The newly topped French champions got here from a objective down on the Parc des Princes final week, with a stoppage-time Nuno Mendes strike altering the complexion of the tie.
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“Our expectation is to get a great end result within the second leg,” Villa supervisor Emery informed reporters on Monday. “After all the truth that they gained 3-1 is altering one thing.
“However lots? No. Why? As a result of we’ve got to win. We needed to win with 2-1 and with 3-1 now. However now, we’ve got to win with yet one more objective.”
PSG have gained 17 of their previous 18 video games in all competitions, the one exception being a 1-0 first-leg residence defeat to Liverpool within the Champions League final 16, which they overturned at Anfield.
They haven’t misplaced by multiple objective since October and solely as soon as in 47 matches this season.
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However Villa themselves are in good kind — they’ve gained eight of their previous 9 matches in all competitions, with their solely stumble coming in France final week.
Villa haven’t misplaced a Premier League or Champions League recreation at residence since a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in August — the Gunners might be ready for the victors within the semi-finals.
Emery mentioned Villa’s supporters may play a key position on Tuesday as they search to increase their keep in a contest they final performed in in the course of the 1982/83 season.
“If we’re connecting with our supporters, if we’re transmitting power, optimistic power, if we’re taking part in kind of, getting tactically and individually good issues on the sector, the supporters, they’ll add to us their power, they’ll assist us lots, and they’ll transmit to us the power,” mentioned the Spaniard.
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“And at all times for our gamers taking part in at residence, with the power they will obtain from the supporters, is one thing including positivity.”
– ‘We got here to win’ –
Emery, who has beforehand managed PSG, mentioned his crew competed nicely in Paris as he hones his plans for the second leg of the quarter-final.
“If we’re successful, we might be shut,” he mentioned. “And our goal is to attempt to play with one sturdy plan, sturdy plan in our tactical manner tomorrow, after which attempt to be constant.”
He added: “If we’re getting additional time, improbable. And if we’re getting a penalty shootout, it might be possibly improbable as nicely.”
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In the meantime, PSG star Ousmane Dembele, their main scorer this season with 32 targets in all competitions, insisted the swashbuckling French champions wouldn’t swap their attacking strategy for a extra conservative one in England.
“We did not come right here to invest. We got here to win one other match and we’re not going to alter our manner of taking part in,” mentioned the France ahead, dismissing recommendations they may attempt to sit on their first-leg lead.
Not like Villa, PSG had a weekend off to organize for this match, their Ligue 1 assembly with Nantes being postponed till April 22, with Dembele saying he was “bored” with no recreation.
The guests can welcome again captain Marquinhos in defence after he sat out the primary leg as a consequence of suspension.
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