Paris Saint-Germain will welcome Aston Villa this Wednesday for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie. PSG enters this match fresh off securing their 13th French Ligue 1 title, achieved with six games remaining in the 2024-25 season. For Aston Villa, the game marks a return to Paris for their manager, Unai Emery, who previously coached PSG from 2016 to 2018. The winner of this quarterfinal will advance to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semifinals, scheduled for late April and early May.
PSG, dominant in Ligue 1 with an unbeaten record of 23 wins and 5 draws in 28 matches, are also contenders for the French Cup final against Reims. Their focus now shifts to the Champions League, aiming to improve on last season`s semifinal exit to Borussia Dortmund and their 2019-20 final loss to Bayern Munich. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are set to play PSG for the first time ever, making this quarterfinal unique as the only one without prior encounters this season.
PSG will be without Lee Kang-In due to injury and Marquinhos due to suspension for Wednesday`s game. Here’s a closer look at the match details:
Match Details and Betting Odds
- Date: Wednesday, April 9
- Location: Parc de Princes, Paris, France
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG -260; Draw +380; Aston Villa +650
Previous Encounters
This is the first-ever match between PSG and Aston Villa. However, PSG has faced English teams five times this season, including two previous encounters in the Champions League against Liverpool in the round of 16. After losing the first leg at home 1-0 to Liverpool, they won the return leg 1-0 at Anfield and progressed 4-1 on penalties.
Road to the Quarterfinals
Aston Villa surprised many by topping their group and directly qualifying for the round of 16, where they defeated Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate. PSG had a more challenging group stage, finishing second but then convincingly defeated Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoffs and Liverpool in the round of 16.
Projected Starting Lineups
PSG XI:
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola.
Aston Villa XI:
Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans; John McGinn, Marco Asensio, Morgan Rogers; Marcus Rashford.
Key Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele, PSG
Since Kylian Mbappe`s departure, French winger Ousmane Dembele has become a central figure for PSG, scoring 24 goals in 20 games in 2025 and 21 Ligue 1 goals this season. With 29 goals across all competitions in 2024-25, he`s having his best season, surpassing his previous record of 14 goals for FC Barcelona in 2018-19. In the Champions League, he has contributed seven goals and one assist in 10 appearances.
Intriguing Storyline
Unai Emery`s Return to Paris
Unai Emery, now managing Aston Villa, returns to his former club PSG, where he won the Ligue 1 title between 2016 and 2018 before moving to the Premier League with Arsenal. A victory against PSG would significantly enhance his reputation as a top European coach.
Match Prediction
PSG is favored to advance to the semifinals and is considered a strong contender for the Champions League title. They are expected to win the first leg at home.
Prediction: PSG 3, Aston Villa 1.
