Aston Villa manager Unai Emery believes his team can pull off a dramatic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday, April 15, with the help of their passionate home fans.
Villa trail 3-1 after a tough first leg in Paris, where a late goal from Nuno Mendes gave the French champions the upper hand. But Emery remains confident his side can turn the tide in front of their own supporters at Villa Park.
“Our expectation is to get a good result in the second leg,” Emery told reporters during a training session on Monday, April 14.
“Of course the fact that they won 3-1 is changing something. But a lot? No. Why? Because we have to win… But now, we have to win with one more goal.”
Villa have been nearly unbeatable at home, not losing a Champions League or Premier League game there since August, and Emery believes the fans will be a major reason for any success on the night.
He said:
“If we are connecting with our supporters, if we are transmitting energy, positive energy… the supporters, they are going to add to us their energy, they are going to help us a lot, and they are going to transmit to us the energy.”
Villa have won eight of their last nine games in all competitions, and even though PSG are in blistering form—winning 17 of their last 18 matches—Emery believes his side can rise to the occasion.
“If we are winning, we can be close. And our objective is to try to play with one strong plan… and then try to be consistent,” he added.
“If we are getting extra time, fantastic. And if we are getting a penalty shootout, it could be maybe fantastic as well.”
PSG, meanwhile, are not planning to hold back. Their star forward Ousmane Dembélé, who has scored 32 goals this season, made it clear that the French side is coming to win, not defend.
“We didn’t come here to speculate. We came to win another match and we are not going to change our way of playing,” Dembélé said.
PSG also received a boost with captain Marquinhos returning from suspension, adding strength to their defence. Unlike Villa, the Paris side had no weekend game, with their league match postponed—though Dembélé admitted he was “bored” without football.
As the atmosphere builds for Tuesday’s clash, Villa fans will be hoping their energy and belief can spark something unforgettable.
