Va-va-voom: PSG's pulling power on rise after Villa thriller

Luis Enrique's fearlessness sets apart arguably the most watchable team in Europe after years of disappointment

- David Hytner

Luis Enrique had one word to describe Gianluigi Donnarumma. "Sensationnel," the Paris Saint-Germain manager said, switching briefly into French from his native Spanish; no translation required. Donnarumma was the difference for PSG against Aston Villa on Tuesday night, the goalkeeper making five saves in the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Villa Park, three of them, well, sensational, as his team just about got the job done, losing 3-2 on the night having been 2-0 up but advancing 5-4 on aggregate.

The pick of the bunch was probably the dive to his left to tip over a Marcus Rashford firecracker at 2-2. And yet at 3-2, there was the claw up and over to keep out Youri Tielemans's looping header and the one-on-one block against the Villa substitute and PSG loanee Marco Asensio.

Donnarumma had no time for the Asensio narrative or the one about a Villa comeback for the ages, one to take a stellar return to Europe's elite competition after a four decades-plus absence to a glorious new pitch. That said, it felt a little incongruous for Donnarumma to end up as the PSG story because it was not how it was meant to be, how the French champions have been cast this season, certainly since the turn of the year.

When Luis Enrique's team reported back after the winter break, they beat Monaco in Qatar to win the Trophée des Champions, and before the trip to Villa Park their record in 2025 showed 22 wins from 24 matches. They drew with Reims in Ligue 1 and there was also the Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat against Liverpool.