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Unai Emery has been too successful in Europe to entertain the notion of a glorious failure, but if there was ever one night to embody it, the dramatic departure from the Aston Villa Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain could be so.
His return to the elite stage after 42 years ended up in heartbreak, but Villa Park witnessed an action that remembered the continent: this side belongs.
A long night becomes electric
Villa looked out of their depth when Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes shot PSG to a 2-0 advantage within the first 30 minutes, stretching the aggregate advantage of the Parisians at 5-1.
A desperate fan murmured: “The car begins.” But I would have lost the return of a generation.
The goal of Youri Tielemans before the break gave life to the town, before a strident crowd saw John McGinn and Ezri Konsa returned the rapid succession.
PSG staggered, his aura crossed by the helpless who had already sent Bayern Munich crashed before in the campaign.
Emery’s emotional investment
Even for Emery generally reserved, bets were deeply personal. Encouraged at all times, he sank his knees with disbelief when Konsa was lost by little an equalizer.
“We are ambitious. It is a great challenge, and we want the club to press for this level,” Emery said after the game.
“The most important competition is the Champions League.”
The Spanish, who has made a career to dominate European nights, added:
“Hopefully we can return quickly. Our squad showed that you can respond to this level. They deserve to be here.”
Marcus Rashford’s second wind
Much had taken Emery’s decision to start Marcus Rashford about Ollie Watkins. The Manchester United loan fought early but, like Villa, it became the contest.
He helped Konsa’s goal and agonizing to be scored, denied by the brilliant Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“I was in flames in the second half,” said an observer. But its long -term future remains uncertain.
The way ahead of Villa
Full -time ovation was not for a victory, it was for the restored belief. Emery, marching through the touch line with tranquility and pride, knows that this is just the beginning.
“We are in a process,” he said. “Obtaining this level is the next step forward, I want to try to build with Aston Villa.”
With six Premier League games, the classification of the Champions League is the goal. And nights like this, with players such as Konsa, McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara and Martínez, suggest that it is within reach.
Barcelona survives the storm: the image of the biggest eyes
Meanwhile, in Germany, Barcelona got on the semifinals for the first time since 2019, but not without supporting a scare.
Leading 4-0 from the first leg, Barça was humiliated 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund when Serhou Guirsy scored a sensational hat trick. The draw ended 5-3 in aggregate, but the night left persistent questions.
Mixed emotions after the game
“There was no great atmosphere in the costumes,” admitted coach Hansi Flick. “Only when I reminded them, ‘Boys, we are in the semifinal’, he got up a bit.”
Barcelona’s high standards mean that this action was found disappointed, despite the result.
“We lacked everything we showed in the first leg: press, close pass lanes,” said defender Jules Kundé. “We made too many mistakes.”
Guirassy Hat Trick exposes the fragments of Barcelona
Barça’s rookies were tested in the cauldron of Signal Iduna Park. Wojciech Szczęsny gave an early penalty, Jules Koundé was repeatedly trapped, and Lamine Yamal, playing his seventh game in 20 days, looked like a teenager under pressure.
Guirassy took the most of, scoring from the place, in a second after the break, and completed his Hat Trick after capitalizing the error of Ronald Araújo.
Flick keeps the focus on success
Despite the stumbling block, Flick maintained the perspective: “What the team has done is phenomenal. We are in three competitions, we are in the semifinal of the Champions League. That is a great success.”
Barça is still the best of the League for four points, has a final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid on April 26, and now they are only two games of its first final of the Champions League in a decade.
“We don’t show what we wanted today,” said Flick. “But the important thing is that we are in the semifinal.”
Caution in the midst of the back talk
As the banners read “Barça are back” they filled the end, fans were reminded that a complete return to European domain is not yet complete.
The memory of Rome and Liverpool still pursues, and Dortmund offered a look at those old wounds.
But with Lewandowski, Raphinha and Yamal have already combined for 82 goals this season, and players like Pedri return, Barcelona’s ambitions are still high.
Whether it is Emery’s challenging villa or the rejuvenated Barça of Flick, the message is the same: the real test begins now.
Aston Villa will seek to qualify again. Barcelona must show that they have overcome their past.
As the film expressed it rightly: “We have to see things positively … but we will analyze. What comes next is what matters.”
