PSG vs Aston Villa prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-04-08 19:00.
[p]After securing the Ligue 1 title with six games to spare at the weekend by beating Angers 1-0, PSG already have one piece of silverware in the bag. They have a Coupe de France final to look forward to in May, but they’ll hope that’s not the only final they’re partaking in across the rest of the season, as they bid to finally claim a trophy that has eluded them – the UEFA Champions League (UCL).[/p]
[p]They face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals having eliminated English opposition in the last 16, dumping out league phase winners Liverpool. History would suggest this tie is on a knife edge for PSG, who have a perfectly split record in UCL quarter-finals (W4, L4), but the fact they’ve won each of their last three should boost the belief of a side who have incredibly won 25 of their last 27 matches in all competitions (D1, L1).[/p]
[p]Villa will perhaps take a crumb of comfort from the fact that sole defeat was at home to another English side, Liverpool, in the last round of the UCL. They warmed up for what is arguably one of the biggest nights in the club’s recent history by beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Saturday to strengthen their top-four quest in the Premier League, stretching their winning competitive run to seven matches in the process, but a failure to ever win away to French opposition (D2, L3) is sure to weigh heavy on their minds here.[/p]
[p]The last two of those games both ended in defeats while Unai Emery was at the helm, but he’ll be keen to avoid the hat-trick as he returns to PSG, where he won seven trophies in a two-year stint in charge. Winning a UCL title with Villa would be his biggest managerial achievement to date, and with Villa having won four successive away games in all competitions – more than in their 14 such games prior – Emery may be cautiously optimistic of downing his former employers. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé has scored 11 of his last 12 UCL goals before the hour mark, including twice against English opposition already this term. Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford has scored a joint-career high three UCL goals against PSG, scoring on both prior visits to the Parc des Princes. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Seven of the last eight UCL goals Aston Villa scored arrived after half-time.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Chris Wilson[/i][/p]