PSG, the champions of the French league, are traveling across the English Channel with a 3-1 lead from the first game. But Aston Villa's manager, Unai Emery, knows very well that PSG has a history of messing up second-leg games.
You might have seen Prince William, a big Villa fan, looking happy when Morgan Rogers scored for Villa in Paris. But even though some young, exciting players were shining that night, PSG came back strong. Two great goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put them ahead, and then Nuno Mendes scored right at the end to make it 3-1.
Coming back from a 3-1 loss is tough, and history isn't on Villa's side. They've been knocked out the last two times they lost the first leg of a European match by two or more goals.
Villa had a shaky game against Southampton recently, but they managed to pull off a good 3-0 win thanks to goals from Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, and Donyell Malen. This was a relief for Marco Asensio, a PSG player currently on loan at Villa, who had two penalties saved in that game!
Villa is still hoping to qualify for next year's Champions League through their position in the Premier League. And they're really strong at home right now – they haven't lost at Villa Park in their last 17 games! They've also won their last four home matches, scoring at least two goals in most of those. Plus, their manager, Emery, has a great record in European home games. So, PSG shouldn't feel too confident just yet.
PSG has turned things around after a bad start to the Champions League group stage. Now, people are actually talking about them as potential winners if they can keep their cool.
It's been about eight years since PSG, under the same manager Emery, had that famous comeback against them by Barcelona. And even though PSG has won the first leg of a Champions League knockout game by at least two goals seven times before, they've been knocked out in three of those!
No team has ever lost a Champions League knockout tie after winning the first leg by two or more goals four times. But this PSG team feels different. Their current coach and sporting director have built a strong, young team after moving away from just signing big-name stars.
Unlike Villa, PSG had the weekend off, which could be a big advantage. They've already won the French league title and could even go the whole season without losing a game.
Even though teams like Arsenal and Bayern Munich have beaten PSG away from home this season, they've been amazing on the road lately, winning 16 away games in a row! So, even if Villa manages to break that streak, PSG might still be celebrating at the end of the night
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
For the big second game, Aston Villa is in pretty good shape with almost all their players fit. The only slight worry is Leon Bailey, their Jamaican forward. He's close to being back, but he probably won't start.
Villa's manager, Emery, has a lot of good players to choose from, so he made some changes for the Southampton game. Interestingly, all three players who scored – Watkins, McGinn, and Malen – came off the bench in the second half.
Watkins also didn't start the first game against PSG, but after his recent performance, he's almost guaranteed to be in the starting lineup on Tuesday. Players like Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, and Boubacar Kamara are also expected to be back in their usual starting spots.
PSG's coach, Enrique, also has all his key players available for this crucial match. This includes their captain, Marquinhos, who missed the first leg because he was suspended.
Young defender Lucas Beraldo will likely be the one to make way for the returning captain. Otherwise, PSG is expected to field a similar team to the first game. Their main attacking threat, Ousmane Dembele, has been incredible this season, scoring or assisting a massive 42 goals in 41 games – putting him in the conversation for the Ballon d'Or (the award for the world's best player).
In the midfield, Vitinha was a passing machine in the first leg. He completed an amazing 148 passes, which is the most any PSG player has ever managed in a Champions League game. It's also the second-highest number of passes in a Champions League knockout game, only behind Barcelona's Xavi back in 2012
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Rashford; Watkins
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
EXPERT PREDICTION
Aston Villa 1-1 PSG
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