Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) held their nerve despite a thrilling second-half onslaught from Aston Villa, securing a spot in the Champions League semifinals with a 5-4 aggregate victory. The French champions were on the brink of a comfortable win after Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes scored within the first 27 minutes, adding to their 3-1 lead from the first leg.

However, Aston Villa staged an incredible fightback, with Youri Tielemans pulling a goal back before halftime and John McGinn and Ezri Konsa scoring in quick succession early in the second half to level the tie at 2-2 on the night. PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was instrumental in preventing a Villa comeback, making crucial saves to deny Tielemans, Marcus Rashford, and Marco Asensio.

The match was a remarkable European night for Aston Villa, who hadn't experienced such excitement since 1983. Despite their valiant effort, Villa fell short, and PSG progressed to the semifinals for the third time in five seasons. Unai Emery, the Villa manager, had previously overseen a dramatic comeback as PSG manager in 2017 when Barcelona overturned a 4-0 deficit.

Next Up for PSG

PSG's likely semifinal opponents will be Arsenal, who hold a 3-0 lead over Real Madrid after the first leg of their quarterfinal tie. The other semifinal matchup pits Barcelona against either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich. With the Ligue 1 title already secured, PSG can focus solely on their European campaign, aiming to conquer Europe in the final on May 31 in Munich