Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa will play in the Champions League quarterfinals at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. Both teams will be looking to take a first-leg advantage into the second leg.

The first-ever meeting between the two teams in European play will take place over two legs, and the victor will face either Real Madrid or Arsenal in the round of 16.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

After drawing the second leg at Anfield, PSG defeated Liverpool 4-1 on penalties to reach the Champions League quarterfinals despite suffering a rare home loss in the first leg. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two spot-kicks, while the Parisians converted all four of theirs.

Luis Enrique's young side—fielding the youngest average starting XI in the competition—had to fight through the group stage before thrashing Brest 10-0 on aggregate and outclassing Liverpool across two legs.

PSG have clinched the Ligue 1 title with six games to spare after a win over the Angers. Their only loss in their last 29 games came in that first leg. Desire Doue's second-half goal kept them on course for an unbeaten domestic season (23 wins, five draws) and a potential domestic treble with the Coupe de France final ahead.

PSG aims to finally win the elusive Champions League, having fallen short in past semi-finals against Bayern and Dortmund. They'll face Aston Villa next—another English opponent after Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool.

Villa, led by ex-PSG coach Unai Emery, returned to the Champions League after 40 years and impressed in the group stage, including a memorable win over Bayern. They beat Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate in the last 16 and are also in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Recent signings like Rashford and PSG loanee Marco Asensio have helped Villa recover from a league slump and push for another European finish. However, Villa has never won a European game in France, and Emery has only beaten Luis Enrique twice in ten meetings—both at home. Their last high-profile clash saw Enrique's Barcelona overturn a 4-0 deficit to famously knock out Emery's PSG 6-1 in 2017.

Despite the odds, Emery's knockout pedigree means PSG won't be underestimating the Villans.

Paris Saint-Germain x Aston Villa Team News

PSG will be without suspended captain Marquinhos for Wednesday night's clash, while Lee Kang-in remains their only injury absentee. Ousmane Dembele—who has seven goals in his last six Champions League games—should return to the starting XI alongside Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, and Bradley Barcola after being benched against Angers.

Dembele is set to lead the attack with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Barcola, forming a dangerous trio for the hosts.

On the other side, Marco Asensio—on loan from PSG—has thrived at Aston Villa, scoring three goals in two Champions League appearances and tallying eight goal contributions in 11 games overall. He'll push to start on the front line with Ollie Watkins or Marcus Rashford.

Donyell Malen and Morgan Rogers, both scorers at the weekend, are also in contention, while Leon Bailey is doubtful despite returning to training. Ross Barkley is the only confirmed absentee.

Villa boss Unai Emery has nearly an entire squad to pick from, with key players like Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, and Boubacar Kamara expected to return to the starting lineup.

Our predictions

Paris Saint Germain to win @ 1.42 on Sy247.ng

Not only are Paris Saint-Germain imperious on home turf, but Aston Villa are often fallible on their travels.

Putting Villa's dubious defense to the test, the perennial French champions should take the lead to England next week—but the visitors could keep themselves in contention for the semi-finals.

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