Late Mendes Goal Gives PSG Advantage Over Aston Villa
Nuno Mendes scored in stoppage time to give Paris Saint-Germain a strong lead in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Aston Villa at the Parc des Princes.
Villa looked set to return home with just a one-goal deficit, but Mendes struck in the final moments to leave Unai Emery’s team with a much harder task at Villa Park.
The English side took the lead in the 35th minute when Morgan Rogers finished at the far post after a good cross from Youri Tielemans. Their goal shocked the French champions and delighted the travelling fans – including Prince William.
However, PSG equalised just four minutes later. Desire Doué curled a brilliant shot from outside the box, leaving Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with no chance.
After half-time, PSG continued to push forward. Just four minutes into the second half, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia beat substitute Axel Disasi before smashing the ball past Martinez to make it 2-1.
Martinez, who was booed by PSG fans for his role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final win over France, made several top saves – including efforts from Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi. But he couldn’t stop Mendes’ late winner, which wrong-footed him and flew into the roof of the net.
Villa Heartbroken at the End
Villa’s fans were full of hope after the early goal, and the team battled bravely against a very strong PSG side. But they struggled to hold on, especially in the second half, as PSG controlled most of the game.
Going into stoppage time, Villa might have been confident of coming back in the second leg with only a 2-1 loss. But Mendes’ late goal made their job much harder.
Villa’s players dropped to the ground at full time, knowing how much harder their Champions League dream has now become.
They are still in the tie, but the late third goal gives PSG a big boost ahead of next week’s return match.
PSG Show Their Strength
PSG look like serious contenders for the Champions League this season. Coach Luis Enrique, who won the tournament with Barcelona in 2015, has built a team rather than relying on superstars.
Instead of big names like Neymar, Mbappé, or Messi, PSG now have rising stars like 19-year-old Desire Doué and former Napoli forward Kvaratskhelia, who caused problems all night for Villa.
After already knocking out Manchester City and Liverpool, PSG will now believe they can reach the semi-finals – and possibly go even further.
