Aston Villa face a challenging task ahead as they trail 3-1 after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.

The match got off to a lively start in Paris, with PSG applying early pressure through Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha, who both looked dangerous in the opening stages. However, Villa managed to weather the storm and took an unexpected lead in the 35th minute. A quick counter-attack saw Morgan Rogers finish coolly from a precise pass by Youri Tielemans, giving Villa a 1-0 advantage.

Despite taking the lead, Villa’s time in front was brief. Just minutes after nearly conceding when Emiliano Martinez fumbled the ball into a dangerous position, the Villa goalkeeper was beaten by a spectacular strike from PSG’s Desire Doue. The 19-year-old’s thunderous shot cannoned off the crossbar and into the net, drawing the game level at 1-1.

PSG came out in the second half with renewed vigor and took the lead early on. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, in fine form, took on Villa’s defense and danced past substitute Axel Disasi before firing a stunning shot past Martinez, giving PSG a 2-1 advantage.

From that point, Villa struggled to cope with the relentless press of the PSG players. The visitors had little time on the ball as the Parisians seized possession time and time again. Martinez did his best to keep Villa in the game, making a crucial save to deny Achraf Hakimi’s powerful shot. The Villa goalkeeper also breathed a sigh of relief when Hakimi’s later strike was ruled offside, keeping the score at 2-1 for the time being.

However, Villa’s resistance was broken once again deep into stoppage time. Nuno Mendes capped a brilliant PSG performance with a remarkable long-range strike that left Martinez with no chance. His effort found the back of the net, giving PSG a 3-1 lead to take into the second leg at Villa Park, leaving Aston Villa with a mountain to climb in their pursuit of a semi-final spot.