Unai Emery tells Aston Villa players the perfect response to their Champions League elimination
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has told his players to focus on finishing in the Premier League’s top five to qualify for the Champions League again next season, after being knocked out of the competition on Tuesday night.
Villa beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 at Villa Park in the second leg of their quarter-final, but it was not enough to go through after a narrow first-leg defeat. Nuno Mendes’ injury-time goal in the first leg proved crucial, as PSG advanced on aggregate despite Villa’s strong comeback.
Emery’s side were 2-0 down on the night before goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Moussa Diaby helped them fight back to win 3-2. The result wasn’t enough to overturn the 3-1 defeat in Paris, but Villa’s spirit and determination were clear.
“It’s important now to try and qualify again for the Champions League,” said Emery. “We played two tough games, and we were very close. Today, we played better, and I’m proud of the team.
“The fans were amazing. Even when we were 2-0 down, they gave us the energy to push. We kept believing. We want to be here again next season, and now we must focus on finishing in the top five.”
Villa’s Champions League run has been impressive. They finished in the top eight of the league phase, beat Club Brugge comfortably in the round of 16, and pushed French champions PSG all the way in the quarters.
Captain John McGinn, who scored Villa’s second goal on the night, shared his pride after the game.
“We’re disappointed, but proud,” McGinn said. “We showed character and quality. We came back from 2-0 against one of the best teams in the world. We had chances to take it to extra time, but it just wasn’t to be.
“We want more of this. We want to come back stronger next year and play at this level again.”
He also praised Emery’s words at half-time: “He told us he was proud and to keep going. We believed, and we gave everything. The fans will be proud of what we did tonight.”
Villa now have six Premier League games left to try and secure Champions League football for next season.
Meanwhile, PSG boss Luis Enrique praised Villa’s intensity and said both legs were closely contested. “Aston Villa made it very difficult. They played with energy, and we had to give everything. That’s the level of the Champions League,” he said.
PSG captain Marquinhos also said: “We believed until the end. This competition is tough, but we are improving and believe we can win it.”
Elsewhere in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Barcelona survived a scare despite losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund. Their 4-0 first-leg win was enough to take them through. Real Madrid will host Arsenal on Wednesday night, while Inter Milan play Bayern Munich after winning the first leg 2-1.
