Emery insists Villa will be ‘stronger at home’ against PSG

ASTON Villa coach Unai Emery insisted he still believes his side can get the better of Paris Saint-Germain and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their last-eight tie on Wednesday night.

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ASTON Villa coach Unai Emery insisted he still believes his side can get the better of Paris Saint-Germain and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their last-eight tie on Wednesday night.

Villa took the lead in the first half in Paris through Morgan Rogers, only for the hosts to turn the game on its head, thanks to stunning strikes by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia either side of the interval.

And a Nuno Mendes effort in stoppage time which gives PSG a two-goal cushion to take to Villa Park for the return appears to leave Emery's side with a huge task to turn the tie around.

"At 2-1, we were thinking about playing to win in the next match, and at 3-1, it is still the same," Emery said.

"But we are here and enjoying it, and I am very proud of the players. We competed fantastically, and we were close to getting a good result.

"At the end, with this goal, it is still more or less the same.

"Villa Park is our home, and hopefully there we will be stronger.