Paris Saint-Germain will play against Aston Villa this Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. PSG is coming off a high after securing their 13th French Ligue 1 title, winning it with six games to spare in the 2024-25 season. Unai Emery, Aston Villa`s coach, will return to Paris, where he previously managed PSG from 2016 to 2018. The winner of this match will advance to the semifinals to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in matches scheduled for late April and early May.
PSG, who are having a fantastic season in Ligue 1 with no losses and a record of 23 wins and 5 draws in 28 games, are also aiming for the French Cup title, with a final against Reims ahead. Their main focus now is the Champions League, especially after past disappointments like losing in the semifinal to Borussia Dortmund last season and in the 2019-20 final against Bayern Munich. This will be the first ever match 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 look at the key details for the match:
Match Details: PSG vs. Aston Villa
- Date: Wednesday, April 9
- 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. PSG has played against English teams five times this season, including twice against Liverpool in the round of 16. They lost the first leg at home 1-0 to Liverpool but won the second leg 1-0 away and progressed on penalties 4-1 before reaching the quarterfinals against Aston Villa.
Road to the Quarterfinals
Aston Villa surprised many by finishing eighth in their league group stage with 16 points, directly qualifying for the round of 16 where they defeated Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate. PSG had a tougher group stage, finishing 15th with 13 points, but they secured their spot with wins against RB Salzburg, Manchester City, and Stuttgart before overcoming Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the playoffs and then 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. In 2025, he has scored 24 goals in 20 games for PSG, including 21 Ligue 1 goals this season. He has a total of 29 goals in all competitions in the 2024-25 season, surpassing his previous best of 14 goals for FC Barcelona in the 2018-19 season. In the Champions League, he has scored seven goals and provided one assist in 10 appearances.
Intriguing Storyline
Will Emery succeed against his former team? Unai Emery, now managing Aston Villa, previously coached PSG from 2016 to 2018, winning a Ligue 1 title during his tenure. A victory against PSG would significantly enhance his reputation as a top European coach.
Match Prediction
PSG is favored to win this quarterfinal and is considered a strong contender for the Champions League title. However, they must first secure a win on Wednesday. Prediction: PSG 3, Aston Villa 1.
Adrian Whitmore 
Benedict Kingsley