Villa home fire will be the key to igniting comeback

VILLA will need to stage a heroic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain if they are to progress to the Champions League semi-finals next week.

- By JOHN TOWNLEY

The French giants defeated Unai Emery's side 3-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night and are firmly in control of the tie.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in the 35th minute, but Villa’s lead didn’t last long as Desire Doue beat Emi Martinez from range.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then turned the game on its head early in the second half before Nuno Mendes added a third in stoppage time. Here are the talking points.

A mountain which can be climbed

This was always going to be a tough ask but, for the most part, Villa’s gameplan worked well. They contained their opponents for much of the first half until two moments of brilliance turned the tide. Mendes’ stoppage-time strike was a significant psychological blow.

Despite the late setback, Emery insisted it wouldn't affect Villa’s mindset heading into the second leg. The objective remains the same: They must win.

“It was more or less the expectation I had before the match - 2-1 or 3-1,” said the manager. “We will play at home next week and it will be a huge challenge for us, but we will feel strong at home with our supporters at Villa Park.