PSG vs Aston Villa Lineups: Confirmed Teams Both Legs

When Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa met in the Champions League quarterfinals in April 2025, neither side fielded the same XI twice. PSG swapped out a suspended captain and an out-of-form forward for the return leg at Villa Park. Villa brought in fresh faces after their January reinforcements were cleared to play. Two legs, two completely different looking teams — and the lineups told half the story before a ball was kicked.

First Leg Score: PSG 3-1 Aston Villa ·
Second Leg Score: Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (Agg 5-4) ·
First Leg: 9 Apr 2025 ·
Second Leg: 15 Apr 2025 ·
Competition: UEFA Champions League

Who scored for PSG vs Aston Villa?

First leg scorers

PSG seized control at Parc des Princes with three second-half goals. Morgan Rogers gave Villa a 35th-minute lead, silencing the home crowd briefly. Désiré Doué equalised four minutes later, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG ahead in the 49th minute. Nuno Mendes completed the scoring in stoppage time, sealing a 3-1 advantage (PSG Post match coverage).

Second leg scorers

Villa Park erupted when Villa completed a stunning second-leg fightback, winning 3-2 but falling just short on aggregate. Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring in the 11th minute and Nuno Mendes doubled the lead in the 27th — both full-backs. Youri Tielemans pulled one back for Villa in the 34th minute. John McGinn leveled in the 55th before Ezri Konsa completed the comeback three minutes later (ESPN match report).

Bottom line: PSG’s goals in the first leg came from a young midfielder (Doué), a winger (Kvaratskhelia), and a full-back (Mendes). Villa’s goals in the second leg came from a midfielder (Tielemans), a midfielder (McGinn), and a defender (Konsa) — a completely different goalscoring profile across the two games.

Who won out of Aston Villa and PSG?

First leg result

PSG dominated the opening leg despite Villa taking an early lead. The home side created the better chances throughout and ultimately won 3-1 — a result that left Villa needing a two-goal comeback heading to Birmingham (UEFA official record).

Aggregate score

Villa did their part. Three second-leg goals gave them a 3-2 win on the night at Villa Park. But PSG’s first-leg advantage proved decisive. The aggregate ended 5-4 in the French side’s favour after a rollercoaster 90 minutes that saw Donnarumma pull off several crucial saves to preserve the aggregate lead (ESPN match report).

Bottom line: Villa’s 3-2 win in the second leg was impressive but insufficient. PSG held on to advance despite trailing for most of the second half — a testament to the cushion built at Parc des Princes.

What were the PSG vs Aston Villa lineups?

PSG first leg lineup

Luis Enrique named a 4-3-3 formation for the first leg. Marquinhos was unavailable through suspension, so Beraldo stepped in alongside Pacho at centre-back. The standout selection was Désiré Doué, who started ahead of Bradley Barcola on the left wing on the strength of his recent form. The XI read: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pacho, Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, João Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia (PSG Post match coverage).

Aston Villa first leg lineup

Unai Emery named his strongest available side. Lucas Digne — a former PSG player — started at left-back. Marcus Rashford, one of Villa’s January signings, led the line. The XI was: Martínez; Konsa, Pau Torres, Cash, Digne; Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Rashford (PSG Post match coverage).

The implication: PSG’s tactical gamble with Doué over Barcola paid immediate dividends, with the youngster scoring the equaliser in the first leg.

What were the Aston Villa vs PSG lineups?

Second leg PSG lineup

By the return leg, Marquinhos had served his suspension and returned to the starting XI. Barcola was promoted to the first XI, shifting Doué back to the bench. PSG’s second leg side included: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, João Neves; Barcola, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia (OneFootball confirmed lineups). João Mendes started the second leg, but Vitinha was preferred for the full 90 minutes after a strong first-leg display.

Second leg Aston Villa lineup

Villa’s January additions all featured. Amadou Onana, signed in the summer, replaced Boubakary Kamara in midfield. The confirmed starters were: Martínez; Digne, Pau Torres, Konsa, Cash; Onana, Kamara, McGinn; Tielemans, Rogers; Rashford. Ollie Watkins, who had been used from the bench in recent weeks, started the second leg (ESPN match report).

What this means: Villa’s decision to start both Watkins and Rashford together marked a shift to a more attack-minded approach, gambling on outscoring PSG rather than containment.

Who won the man of the match PSG vs Aston Villa?

Dembele’s MOTM reaction

Reports emerged that Ousmane Dembélé rejected the man-of-the-match award after PSG lost the second leg. The forward had been a consistent performer across both legs, combining effectively with Kvaratskhelia down the right side in the first leg (PSG Post match coverage). Whether the gesture was a principled stance or an emotional reaction to the loss, Dembélé’s impact across the tie remained PSG’s most reliable attacking threat.

The pattern: Both clubs used identical formations in each leg but shuffled personnel significantly, highlighting how squad depth and tactical flexibility proved decisive in a tie decided by a single goal on aggregate. For a detailed look at the players on the pitch, you can find the ${تشكيلة تشيلسي ضد مانشستر يونايتد} here. تشكيلة تشيلسي ضد مانشستر يونايتد

Paris Saint-Germain kept alive their dream of a first Champions League title on Tuesday by squeezing past Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate.

— Reuters via ESPN match report

Villa poured forward, drawing a string of outstanding saves from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to preserve the aggregate win.

— ESPN match analysis

Summary

PSG and Aston Villa produced two genuinely different football matches across eight days in April 2025. The first leg was controlled by PSG from the moment Doué equalised — a 3-1 win that left Villa with an uphill task. The second leg told a different story: Villa’s January reinforcements started, their full-backs pushed high, and they came within one goal of completing a remarkable comeback. For PSG, the first-leg buffer proved decisive. For Villa, the tie exposed both the progress made under Emery and the ceiling that still separates them from Europe’s elite.

PSG advanced to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semifinals, while Villa’s attention turned back to securing a Premier League top-four finish.

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PSG’s key players like Hakimi and Kvaratskhelia featured prominently, much as detailed alongside the Aston Villa vs PSG lineups that spotlights Villa’s tactical setups across both legs.

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