Aston Villa coach Unai Emery insists he still believes his side can get the better of Paris Saint-Germain and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their last-eight tie.
Villa took the lead in the first half in Paris through Morgan Rogers, only for the hosts to turn the game on its head thanks to stunning strikes by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia either side of the interval.
And a Nuno Mendes effort in stoppage time, which gives PSG a two-goal cushion to take to Villa Park for the return leg, appears to leave Emery's side with a huge task to turn the tie around.
"At 2-1 we were thinking about playing to win in the next match, and at 3-1 it is still the same," Emery said.
"But we are here and enjoying it, and I am very proud of the players. We competed fantastically and we were close to getting a good result.
"At the end, with this goal, it is still more or less the same.
"Villa Park is our home, and hopefully there we will be stronger.
"But of course they are still favourites.
"They showed their power and individual quality.
"The second leg will be just as difficult at 3-1 as it was at 2-1. We have to win."
Emery's opposite number, Luis Enrique, expressed delight but emphasised that PSG would not sit back and "speculate" in the second leg on Tuesday.
The quality of PSG's goals was exceptional, with Doue's marvellous strike for the equaliser probably topped by Kvaratskhelia's remarkable individual effort.
Mendes then rounded Emiliano Martinez to make it 3-1 following a superb Ousmane Dembele pass, capping PSG's victory in a game that saw them enjoy 68 percent possession and 30 attempts on goal to Villa's eight.
"Our objective in Birmingham is clear, to try to win the game.
"We don't know how to speculate, or to sit back and defend deep.
"We will try to have the ball and attack more than the opposition.
"I don't doubt it will be harder there but that is what we will try to do."
PSG will have skipper Marquinhos available again to line up in central defence in the return after he sat out the first leg due to suspension. (AFP)
Emery still sees light at end of Paris defeat
2025-04-10 HKT 10:45
