After knocking out Liverpool on Tuesday night at Anfield, Paris Saint-Germain nowface another Premier League side, Aston Villa, with a spot in the semifinal at stake.
PSG had a tough battle with Liverpool, needing a penalty shootout to secure the win, while Aston Villa cruised through their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matchup against Club Brugge, winning 6-1 on aggregate.
The English side won the first leg 3-1, and in the second leg, it took extra time. However, goals from Marco Asensio, on loan from PSG, who scored a brace, and Ian Maatsen sealed a 3-0 victory to wrap up the tie.
What are the first impressions of the quarterfinal tie?
Marco Asensio
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
While the tie isn’t until next month, there’s already the first reaction to the match from former Arsenal and Brighton defender Matthew Upson, who believes PSG are in for a “really tough” matchup.
“Aston Villa deserve it,”Upson said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “The way they’ve gone about their campaign in the Champions League, they’re ina very good spot with players who have experienced this level of European football.
“PSG, whilst they’re getting all the plaudits at the moment, it’s going to be areally tough tie for themand it’s going to bereally nicely matched.”
Asensio can take on the coach who reduced his role this season, ultimately leading to his move to Villa Park during the winter transfer window.
At the same time, Unai Emery will face the club he managed from 2016 to 2018, where he won one league title, two Coupe de France trophies, two Coupe de la Ligue trophies, and two Trophée des Champions.