They were 5-1 down. Five one. And not to an average or rubbish team like Southampton (other rubbish teams are available), but to Paris Saint-Germain, the best side in France by a country chateau, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia et al.
“And that closes the door on Aston Villa,” said commentator Jon Champion on Amazon Prime, the UK broadcaster for the competition, after Nuno Mendes put PSG 2-0 up on the night.
It was all over bar the shouting (and there was lots of that).
Villa would have to score four unanswered goals in 63 minutes to produce one of the most incredible and unlikely comebacks not just in their history, or Champions League history, but, well, ever.
What happened next is the greatest Champions League comeback that never was.
It only took seven minutes for them to flip the momentum and start to believe, when Youri Tielemans’ shot deflected in off Willian Pacho.
Tielemans’ expression was hardly one that reflected a consolation goal. It was on.
When John McGinn made it 2-2 (3-5 on aggregate) early in the second half from 20-odd yards…
Yep, this is happening…
Everything was with Villa at this point: the momentum, the crowd, the belief. Everything, except Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italian launched a trilogy of top-drawer saves with this full-stretch fingertip from Marcus Rashford’s curler. This was Donnarumma Part 1: The Flex.
Donnarumma could do nothing about Villa’s third goal just seconds later, though. Rashford rewound time seven years to become that guy again, skipping past two players and teeing up Ezri Konsa…
In just a couple of minutes, Villa had turned the tie on its head.
Unai Emery was pretty cool about the whole thing, to be honest (that wouldn’t last).
But in the stands, it was uninhibited bedlam.
As well as a quite adorable level of disbelief from this chap…
And some chap called Prince William and his lad George enjoyed it too. You may have noticed a football match going on last night amid the ongoing coverage of the future King.
The intensity at this point was beyond anything Villa Park has felt for years. A Champions League quarter-final at home to one of the biggest clubs in Europe, amazing things happening on the pitch, the fans are beyond feral. They were a Championship club six years ago.
“I don’t think my team has been so dominated by another team in that way,” PSG boss Luis Enrique will say after the match.
“But this opponent has to take risks because they were going out of the competition. They attacked with great intensity and we were playing in front of a great crowd too.”
Anyway, back to Donnarumma. Here he is saving Tielemans’ goal-bound header.
Donnarumma Part 2: The Claw’s Revenge.
Any scriptwriter worth their salt would have penned PSG loanee Marco Asensio — able to play against his parent club while temporarily representing Villa courtesy of UEFA’s rules — to come off the bench and score the goal to take the game to extra time. But the dastardly villain Donnarumma completed his trilogy in Donnarumma Part 3: You Shall Not Pass.
Emery couldn’t believe it…
And his reaction to Konsa completely missing the ball with a diving header with the goal at his mercy a few seconds later…
Well, he was 42,535 people at Villa Park (except no one else had their hood up).
Sure, PSG had chances too on the break, but immortality was there for Villa, they had it in their grasp. It was stirring and heartbreaking in equal measure, topped off by one final opportunity in the three minutes that were added on (yes, that’s three minutes, despite there being three goals and four substitution stoppages during the second half).
Ian Maasten’s strike may just have been squeaking into the bottom corner. For once, Donnarumma was motionless and beaten…
But Pacho, whose deflection had started the comeback off, made a firmer contact with the ball this time and kept it out. Fine margins indeed.
Emery attempted some yoga to relax but got his half tortoise all wrong.
The manager’s gymnastics on the touchline reflected a night of incredible drama and emotion.
Villa were so close to achieving the impossible. But, yet, so far.
(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
