Emery says home fans can inspire Aston Villa comeback against PSG
The newly crowned French champions came from a goal down at the Parc des Princes last week, with a stoppage-time Nuno Mendes strike changing the complexion of the tie.
Aston Villa's Spanish head coach Unai Emery attends a press conference at their Bodymoor Heath Training Ground near Birmingham, central England, on April 14, 2025 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final, second-leg football match against Paris Saint-Germain. Picture: Paul ELLIS / AFP.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Unai Emery says his players can feed off the energy of their fans as Aston Villa seek to overturn a 3-1 deficit in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
The newly crowned French champions came from a goal down at the Parc des Princes last week, with a stoppage-time Nuno Mendes strike changing the complexion of the tie.
"Our expectation is to get a good result in the second leg," Villa manager Emery told reporters on Monday. "Of course the fact that they won 3-1 is changing something.
"But a lot? No. Why? Because we have to win. We had to win with 2-1 and with 3-1 now. But now, we have to win with one more goal."
PSG have won 17 of their past 18 games in all competitions, the only exception being a 1-0 first-leg home defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League last 16, which they overturned at Anfield.
They have not lost by more than one goal since October and only once in 47 matches this season.
But Villa themselves are in good form -- they have won eight of their past nine matches in all competitions, with their only stumble coming in France last week.
Villa have not lost a Premier League or Champions League game at home since a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in August, who could be waiting for the victors in the semi-finals.
Emery said Villa's supporters could play a key role on Tuesday as they seek to extend their stay in a competition they last played in during the 1982/83 season.
"If we are connecting with our supporters, if we are transmitting energy, positive energy, if we are playing more or less, getting tactically and individually good things on the field, the supporters, they are going to add to us their energy, they are going to help us a lot, and they are going to transmit to us the energy," said the Spaniard.
"And always for our players playing at home, with the energy they can receive from the supporters, is something adding positivity."
Emery, who has previously managed PSG, said his team competed well in Paris as he hones his plans for the second leg of the quarter-final.
"If we are winning, we can be close," he said. "And our objective is to try to play with one strong plan, strong plan in our tactical way tomorrow, and then try to be consistent."
He added: "If we are getting extra time, fantastic. And if we are getting a penalty shootout, it could be maybe fantastic as well."