After a dramatic showdown at Anfield, Paris Saint-Germain secured a 2-1 win over Liverpool in further time. Now, they’re set to face one other Premier League problem in Aston Villa, with a spot within the UEFA Champions League semifinals at stake.
PSG fought onerous to get previous Liverpool, finally triumphing in a tense penalty shootout. Then again, Aston Villa had a better time, breezing previous Membership Brugge with a commanding 6-1 mixture win within the Spherical of 16.
Villa gained the higher hand with a 3-1 victory within the first leg. Within the second, Marco Asensio—on mortgage from PSG—scored twice, and Ian Maatsen added one other in a 3-0 win, sealing the tie.
Will Aston Villa thrive in an underdog function towards PSG?
The worldwide break is sort of over, and with March coming to an in depth, all eyes will likely be on PSG and Aston Villa subsequent month as they battle for a spot within the semifinals. Forward of the conflict, talkSPORT’s Dan Bardell mentioned Villa will embrace their underdog standing and believes they will knock out the Parisians.
“I feel it fits Villa being the underdog,” Bardell mentioned. “I feel it fits Unai Emery being the underdog. I feel if Villa handle the 2 legs appropriately, there’s no motive why we are able to’t undergo. Look, PSG are scary.
“The best way they performed throughout these two legs towards Liverpool—two high, high, high performances and their entrance three is frightening, and their midfield three is frightening… They’ve received a bunch of unbelievable footballers, and it appears to have glued all of it collectively and knitted all of it collectively very, very properly again as effectively. Very bodily.
Furthermore, Bardell famous that Aston Villa supervisor Unai Emery will play a serious function in advancing towards his former membership.
“Unai Emery is a European knowledgeable,” Bardell added. “If Villa can go to PSG and are available away with it being shut within the first leg, Villa are very, superb at Villa Park. Solely misplaced two video games this season at Villa Park, and considered one of them was within the Carabao Cup with the third crew.
“The opposite one was the primary house sport of the season towards Arsenal. So we’re used to selecting up outcomes at Villa Park. I simply assume that if Villa play to their most and PSG possibly don’t have sufficient throughout the 2 legs, which is unquestionably able to occurring.”