Paris Saint-Germain will host Aston Villa this Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchup. PSG is coming off a successful weekend, having secured their 13th French Ligue 1 title, achieving this feat with six games remaining in the 2024-25 season. Aston Villa`s manager, Unai Emery, will return to Paris, where he previously managed PSG from 2016 to 2018.
The winner of this quarterfinal tie will advance to the semifinals to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid. The semifinal matches are scheduled for April 29-30 and May 6-7.
PSG, who remain undefeated in Ligue 1 with an impressive record of 23 wins and 5 draws in 28 matches, are also still in contention for the French Cup final against Reims. Their focus now shifts to the Champions League, especially after past disappointments, including a semifinal loss to Borussia Dortmund last season and a final defeat against Bayern Munich in 2019-20.
This match marks the first-ever encounter between PSG and Aston Villa, making it a unique quarterfinal pairing this season.
PSG will be without Lee Kang-In due to injury and Marquinhos due to suspension for the Aston Villa game. Here’s a preview of the match:
Match Details and Odds
- Date: Wednesday, April 9
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG -260; Draw +380; Aston Villa +650
Previous Encounters
This is the first time PSG and Aston Villa are playing against each other. For PSG, this is their fifth game against an English team this season. In the round of 16 against Liverpool, they lost the first leg 1-0 at home but won the second leg 1-0 at Anfield and progressed 4-1 on penalties.
Journey to the Quarterfinals
Aston Villa surprised many by finishing eighth in their league phase with 16 points, directly qualifying for the round of 16, where they defeated Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate. PSG had a more challenging league phase, finishing 15th with 13 points, but advanced after wins against RB Salzburg, Manchester City, and Stuttgart, followed by a 10-0 aggregate win over Brest in the playoffs and then defeating 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, Dembele has become a central figure for PSG, scoring 24 goals in 20 games in 2025, including 21 Ligue 1 goals this season. He has a total of 29 goals in all competitions in 2024-25, surpassing his previous best of 14 goals for FC Barcelona in 2018-19. In the Champions League this season, he has scored seven goals and provided one assist in 10 appearances.
Key Storyline
Unai Emery`s Return to Paris: Unai Emery, now managing Aston Villa, previously coached PSG from 2016 to 2018, winning Ligue 1. A victory against his former club PSG would significantly enhance his reputation as a top European manager.
Match Prediction
PSG is favored to win this match and advance to the Champions League semifinals. Prediction: PSG 3, Aston Villa 1.
