Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reflected on his team's 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, played on Wednesday night in Paris. Speaking candidly after the match, Emery expressed that the outcome was not entirely unexpected and emphasized his belief in his team’s potential to turn things around in the return leg at Villa Park.
In an interview with TNT Sports following the final whistle, the Spanish coach acknowledged the strength of the opposition and admitted that he had anticipated a difficult match. “To be honest, I wasn’t surprised by the result,” Emery said. “Before the game, I imagined it could end 2-1 or 3-1 in their favor. We were coming into this knowing how tough it would be to play against a team like Paris Saint-Germain on their own ground.”
Despite the defeat, Emery remained optimistic about his side’s chances in the second leg. “Next week’s match at Villa Park is going to be a huge challenge for us, no doubt,” he continued. “But we are incredibly strong when we play at home. We’ve shown that throughout the season, and we’ll need to show it again in this decisive fixture.”
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Reflecting on the performance, Emery pointed out that while Villa struggled defensively at times, they also created several opportunities that could have changed the course of the game. “We needed to be more disciplined at the back, especially after we went down 2-1,” he explained. “Even then, we had three clear chances inside their penalty area, and any one of them could have brought us level or even given us an advantage. We were very close to getting a more favorable result.”
The third goal, which came in the final moments of the match, was particularly frustrating for the team. “Conceding in the last seconds is always painful, and it’s a moment that can hurt morale,” Emery admitted. “But that goal doesn’t change our overall plan or our mindset. We still know what we have to do—we need to win by more than one goal at home.”
He further stressed the importance of being more clinical in the attacking third, especially in the second half of high-stakes matches like these. “We scored once today, which was important, but in the second half we lacked the sharpness and decisiveness required to take full advantage of our opportunities,” he said. “That’s something we will need to improve next week.”
Emery ended the interview on a confident and motivational note, underlining the crucial role the home crowd and atmosphere will play in the return leg. “We believe in our supporters. We believe in Villa Park,” he said passionately. “We know what kind of energy our fans can bring, and how much it lifts the players. I have full faith in my team’s ability to rise to the occasion. We will give everything we have to deliver a performance that keeps our Champions League dream alive.”
With the second leg looming, Aston Villa will need a strong response if they are to overturn the deficit and progress to the semifinals. But under Emery’s leadership and with the backing of their fans, the Villans still have hope.
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