Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) faced Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-finals, a match where Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez became a central talking point.
Many questioned whether he could withstand the PSG test, recalling his pivotal role in unsettling the French team during the Qatar World Cup final. However, the Argentine custodian failed to prove himself on French soil this time around.
On Wednesday night (April 9th), playing at their home ground, PSG defeated Aston Villa 3-1, putting them in a strong position to reach the semi-finals. After Morgan Rogers put the visitors ahead, Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Nuno Mendes each found the net for PSG.
From the outset, PSG dominated the game. The examination for Martinez began shortly after kickoff. In the eighth minute, he successfully fisted away a powerful shot from Ousmane Dembélé, clearing the first hurdle.
Despite a barrage of attacks, PSG struggled to find the opening goal. Instead, against the run of play, Villa took the lead in the 35th minute with a well-coordinated counter-attack. The move originated from John McGinn winning the ball in midfield from a PSG player.
The ball then moved through a few passes to Marcus Rashford, whose pass found Youri Tielemans, who delivered a diagonal cross for Rogers to tap into the net. Villa's goal silenced the PSG supporters.
However, Villa's joy was short-lived. Doué, advancing slightly towards the left side of the box, unleashed a beautiful curling shot into the far post, leaving Martinez with no chance. The two teams went into halftime with the score level.
PSG continued to threaten Villa's box from the start of the second half. Facing the experienced PSG for the first time on the European stage, Villa fell behind in the 49th minute. Kvaratskhelia scored with a powerful shot near the post. Despite being in line with the ball, Martinez couldn't make a save.
In the 58th minute, Martinez denied Achraf Hakimi, preventing PSG from extending their lead. Villa's best attempt of the second half came in the 72nd minute, but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Rogers' shot, keeping PSG on track for victory.
The goalkeeper was beaten again in added time of the second half. Mendes latched onto a through pass from a teammate, brilliantly dribbled past a defender and the goalkeeper, and slotted the ball into the net with a precise finish. This secured a 3-1 victory for PSG.
