As we gear up for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash at the Parc des Princes, here’s our preview and prediction for Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa. Can Luis Enrique’s side carry forward the momentum from their recent Ligue 1 title victory?
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PSG vs Aston Villa: Preview
Paris Saint-Germain clinched the Ligue 1 title on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win over Angers.
The victory extended their unbeaten run in the league to 28 games — a new club record. Should they avoid defeat in their next five Ligue 1 fixtures, they’ll surpass the long-standing record of 32 matches without a loss, set by Nantes in the 1994-95 season.
However, the spotlight now shifts to the UEFA Champions League, where a quarter-final showdown awaits against an in-form Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s side are in the hunt for a Premier League top-four finish, have secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, and are enjoying an impressive European run. Still, PSG pose a formidable challenge.
Following his team’s dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to PSG in the round of 16, Liverpool boss Arne Slot declared Luis Enrique’s men to be the best team in Europe.
Statistics lend weight to that claim. Among clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, only Barcelona (141) have scored more goals in all competitions than PSG (124) this season. PSG also lead in expected goals (118.6), total shots (878), shots on target (365), and big chances created (235).
They’ve regained possession in the final third more than any other team across Europe’s top five leagues this season, doing so 267 times in all competitions. PSG also rank just behind Bayern Munich when it comes to average possession, holding a 67.3% share.
In 2025 alone, Luis Enrique’s side have won 21 of their 23 matches and netted 73 goals across all competitions — both figures are the highest of any team from Europe’s elite leagues this calendar year.
This is a ruthless, relentless attacking unit, and the transformation under Enrique — especially after Kylian Mbappé’s exit last summer — deserves immense credit.
Enrique has also placed his trust in youth, and that decision appears to be paying off. A blend of youthful energy and Ousmane Dembélé’s scintillating form has added a fresh spark to PSG’s frontline.
They’ve fielded the fifth-youngest starting XI on average in the Champions League this season (24 years, 242 days), and boast the youngest squad among the teams still in the competition.
Ousmane Dembélé has been central to everything PSG are doing right. The winger has scored seven goals in his last six Champions League appearances — surpassing his total from his previous 36 games in the competition.
Interestingly, six of those seven goals have come away from home, so he’ll be eager to replicate that form at the Parc des Princes.
In 2025, the French international has racked up 24 goals and two assists across all competitions. No player from Europe’s top five leagues has more goals or total goal involvements (26) since the start of the year.
Meanwhile, it was Désiré Doué who delivered the title-winning goal for PSG on Saturday. The young midfielder has been directly involved in 18 goals this year — nine goals and nine assists — making him just the second player in Europe’s top five leagues to register at least nine of each in all competitions in 2025, joining Raphinha (10 goals, 10 assists).
In midfield, Vitinha and João Neves have been outstanding.
Vitinha, especially, has emerged as one of Europe’s top central midfielders. In this season’s Champions League, he has completed 93% of his passes under high-intensity pressure (544 out of 586) — the best accuracy of any midfielder in the competition with at least 100 attempts.
The Portuguese international also tops the charts for line-breaking passes in the knockout stages, having made 77 — more than any other player in the tournament.
But PSG will be under no illusion that Aston Villa will simply roll over. Unai Emery’s side will be relishing the prospect of a second leg at home, and they’ll know that keeping the tie alive this week is absolutely vital.
To achieve that, their best form of defence might just be to go on the attack.
Villa have registered 13 wins across all competitions in 2025 — a tally bettered by only five teams in Europe’s top five leagues. They’ve also scored 37 goals this calendar year, with just nine sides netting more.
Remarkably, they are currently on a seven-game winning streak in all competitions — their longest run since stringing together 10 consecutive victories in the Championship between March and April 2019. It’s also their best winning run as a top-flight team since March 1981.
Marcus Rashford has rediscovered his form since arriving on loan from Manchester United, while Ollie Watkins (six goals, six assists) and Morgan Rogers (seven goals, five assists) have each tallied 12 goal contributions in 2025.
Only three teams — PSG (Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Doué, and Gonçalo Ramos), Real Madrid (Mbappé, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, and VinÃcius Júnior), and Barcelona (Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, and Lamine Yamal) — have more players with double-digit goal tallies this season than Aston Villa.
Beyond the numbers, this tie also carries some fascinating sub-plots.
Unai Emery will be facing his former club, while Marco Asensio will have extra motivation to impress against his parent side.
Asensio, loaned to Villa by PSG during the winter transfer window, has hit the ground running — netting eight goals and supplying one assist since his arrival.
Asensio has made an immediate impact in the Champions League for Villa, scoring three goals in just two appearances — both coming off the bench — after going goalless in 10 outings for PSG in the same competition.
Should he find the net again, the 2024-25 season would mark his most prolific Champions League campaign to date. With that extra motivation to prove a point to his parent club, he’ll no doubt be keen to show PSG exactly what they let go.
PSG vs Aston Villa: Head-to-head
This marks the first-ever competitive clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, and it’s only the second Champions League quarter-final meeting between a French and an English side in the past eight seasons — the last being Manchester City’s 3-1 loss to Lyon in the 2019-20 campaign.
Villa will become the fourth different English opponent PSG face in this season’s Champions League, having already squared off against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. That equals a tournament record for most teams from a single nation faced in one European Cup/Champions League season — matching Leeds United’s run against four Spanish clubs in 2000-01 and Real Madrid’s encounters with four German sides in 2023-24.
Before knocking out Liverpool in the Round of 16, PSG had been eliminated in each of their last three knockout ties against English opposition — against Manchester City in 2015-16 and 2020-21, and Manchester United in 2018-19.
As for Villa, they have yet to register a win on French soil in European competition (five matches: two draws and three defeats). Their last two visits ended in losses under Unai Emery — 2-1 against Lille in April 2024 and 1-0 to Monaco in January.
The managerial duel adds another layer of intrigue. Emery has just two wins from 10 meetings against Luis Enrique (D1 L7), both coming at home. Their last encounter came in the 2016-17 Champions League, when Enrique’s Barcelona famously overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to knock Emery’s PSG out with a stunning 6-1 victory at Camp Nou.
PSG vs Aston Villa: Team News and Predicted Lineup
PSG – Team News
Paris Saint-Germain are also in good shape on the fitness front, with Lee Kang-In the sole player ruled out due to injury. However, they will be without captain Marquinhos, who is suspended for the first leg after picking up his third yellow card of the tournament during the second leg against Liverpool. He’ll be available for the return fixture at Villa Park.
Luis Enrique took the opportunity to rotate his squad during Saturday’s Ligue 1 win over Angers, resting key players like Ousmane Dembélé, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes. As a result, PSG will head into Wednesday’s clash with plenty of fresh legs and no shortage of energy.
PSG – Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)
- Goalkeper – Donnarumma
- Defenders – Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Mendes
- Midfielders – Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz
- Forwards – Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola
Aston Villa – Team News
Aston Villa head into the clash with a nearly full-strength squad, with no confirmed absentees at this stage. Both Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey, who had been sidelined with injuries, have returned to training and are being monitored ahead of the match.
Barkley has been dealing with a calf problem that has troubled him since January, while details surrounding Bailey’s injury remain undisclosed. However, their involvement remains a possibility, offering Unai Emery a welcome boost in midfield and attack.
Aston Villa – Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
- Goalkeper – Martinez
- Defenders – Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen
- Midfielders – Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn
- Forwards – Watkins, Rogers, Rashford
PSG vs Aston Villa: Prediction
Given both teams’ impressive form and attacking firepower, this promises to be a high-quality, tightly contested encounter. PSG boast elite metrics across the board, with Dembélé, Doué, and Vitinha all in top form, and Luis Enrique’s young, dynamic side has looked relentless in 2025. However, Aston Villa are no pushovers—Emery’s men have won seven straight matches, are thriving in all competitions, and have a dangerous front line led by Watkins, Rashford, and Rogers.
While PSG will dominate possession and create chances, Villa’s pace on the break and Emery’s tactical nous could cause problems—especially with Marquinhos absent.
Prediction: PSG 2-1 Aston Villa
When and Where to Watch PSG vs Aston Villa Match? Broadcast and Streaming Details
The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-finals first leg between PSG and Aston Villa will take place at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, France. The match is set for April 9 at 12:30 am IST. It will be broadcast live on the Sony Network and can be streamed online via Sony LIV.
FAQs
Who is PSG’s key player in the Champions League this season?
Ousmane Dembélé has been crucial for PSG, scoring seven goals in his last six Champions League appearances and leading all players in goal involvements in 2025.
What is Aston Villa’s form heading into the PSG clash?
Aston Villa are on a seven-match winning streak in all competitions and have 13 wins in 2025, showcasing strong momentum under Unai Emery.
Why is Marquinhos missing the first leg against Aston Villa?
PSG captain Marquinhos is suspended after receiving his third yellow card of the Champions League campaign in the previous round against Liverpool.
How many different players from Aston Villa have scored 10+ goals this season?
Four Villa players have reached double figures in goals this season, putting them behind only PSG, Real Madrid, and Barcelona in Europe’s top five leagues.
What is the head-to-head record between PSG and Aston Villa?
This is the first-ever competitive meeting between PSG and Aston Villa in any UEFA competition.
