Morgan Rogers had seemingly provided the straightforward breakthrough for Aston Villa in Paris. On the whole, PSG being up 3-1 was deserved from the hosts on Wednesday. The side now faces a difficult task of needing to win by two goals in regulation at Villa Park to force extra time.
From the opening whistle, the game plan from Unai Emery was clear. Although frustrating for Villa fans, they wanted to see out a draw or minimal defeat to give AVFC the best chance to advance in the return leg. This approach can be frustrating to watch at times.
For the most part, it worked, as it took a Nuno Mendes strike into stoppage time for PSG to score the third time. It showed a breakdown at the end after defending and staying compact for most of the match. In fairness to the French side, they could have easily felt hard done by had the third goal not happened.
As things stand, Villa will now need an unbelievable performance in order to stay alive in the Champions League. Anything can happen in Europe. The lead that PSG currently holds isn't insurmountable. Conceding that final goal after 90+ minutes does make it a noticeably more difficult task to get to the CL semi-finals.
Aston Villa approach nearly paid off
Many will have wanted to see Emery come out less defensive. Taking the fight to PSG could have potentially changed things, as when Villa did go forward, they were able to make something of their chances. By the same token, the attacking quality was evident, particularly after watching the finishes by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué. Opening things up on French soil could have also easily resulted in a more lopsided defeat.
Either way, the path forward is clear now. After facing Southampton on Saturday, Villa will have the chance to reverse their fortunes against Luis Enrique's side at Villa Park. Aston Villa have plenty of quality of their own, and with a wave of Villans urging them on, they will now aim to achieve the incredible.