Match Preview
Going into the quarterfinals of the 2025 Champions League, two squads in PSG and Aston Villa, are contending for a chance at their 2nd UCL trophies of all time. With PSG having slowly made a comeback in this tournament after a slow start in the group stages, their opponents haven’t won a European Championship since back in 1981-82. This match will take place in Parc des Priuces of Paris, France, on April 10th at 12:30 A.M. IST or April 9th at 9:00 P.M. GMT.
Paris St. German vs Aston Villa Starting Lineups
Paris St. German Starting Lineup
Gianluigi Donnarumma(GK), Nuno Mendes(D), Marquinhos(D), Willian Pacho(D), Achraf Hakimi(D), Vitinha(MD), Fabian Ruiz(MD), Joao Neves(MD), Khvicha Kvaratshekhelia(FW), Bradley Barcola(FW), Ousmane Dembele(FW)
Aston Villa Starting Lineup
Emiliano Martinez(GK), Lucas Digne(D), Ezri Konsa(D), Tyrone Mings(D), Matty Cash(D), Boubacar Kamara(MD), Youri Tielemans(MD), Marcus Rashford(MD), John McGinn(MD), Morgan Rogers(MD), Ollie Watkins(FW)
Paris St. German Preview
A group that was heavily criticized for their play earlier this tournament, the PSG unit has finally regrouped and found its groove to make a deep run. Led by former star Ousmane Dembele, 7 goals, his ability to use speed with the ball in open fields has created a lot of top-notch looks for him. After being completely destroyed by F.C. Barcelona fans for leaving them unexpectedly, he has finally picked up his game for PSG during this vital tournament. Having Bradley Barcola, 3 goals plus 3 assists, by his side, really creates pressure for defenders to see which athletic piece to attack, while Khvicha Kvaratshekhelia has made his name as another sharp shooter. In the midfield, this group’s best piece to set up offense has been Vitinha with 76 progressive passes, while João Neves has slowly taken a similar path towards his game as well.
With Neves, 40 tackles, already being this unit’s best two-way midfielder, it has helped defender Achraf Hakimi be vital on the offensive side as well. Someone with 5 assists during Champions League play, his passing has been top-notch, while also being the defensive leader alongside rising star Willian Pacho. As the Ecuador national player has finally made his name through 17 interceptions and 49 clearances, Marquinhos has demonstrated excellent ball control to push the ball forward and slide into attackers as well. Seeing that world-class goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in the net, it’s going to be almost impossible for any team to score on them.
Aston Villa Preview
On the other side, this Aston Villa group has finally shown great growth in English Premier League play and European football after nearly two decades. A club that is looking to continue their strong run right now, Ollie Watkins, 1 goal plus 4 assists, will be the main part of this story because of creating amazing pressure near the net. Someone who can keep firing away and also has turned into a solid passer, he is just waiting to capitalize on some of his shots to go instead of being cleaned by another player on his unit for the score. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers, 3 goals plus 2 assists, has been a tremendous all-around attacker for this unit with speed and young aggression to get the ball into dangerous areas. John McGinn, 2 goals, ability to run a very unique way that defenders scramble around trying to pick up, create additional pressure, with Marcus Rashford finally showing images of his old form next to him. Youri Tielemans, 66 progressive passes, seems to get the offensive game started and spread the ball around to his attacking pieces.
Looking at him defensively, Tielemans’ 18 tackles and 9 interceptions in a short time show what kind of athlete he is, with amazing energy to attack all important corners throughout 90 minutes. Having some like him there gives rising star defender Ezri Konsa, 15 blocks plus 10 interceptions during the Champions League, more ability to limit attackers from having success on one side. With Lucas Digne, 14 clearances, really pushing the ball forward, and Matty Cash being a constant figure on defense, Emiliano Martinez has a much more systematic position to make creative saves.
Final Score Prediction
Score Prediction: PSG will win this game 2-1.
