Aston Villa were 75 seconds away from something quite OK, but then it all changed. PSG were fabulous and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was absolutely spellbinding, writes IAN LADYMAN

Aston Villa were 75 seconds away from something quite OK, quite satisfactory here. Outplayed, often overwhelmed and always second-best, Unai Emery and his players were in this game at 2-1 down and therefore in this tie as we moved through three minutes of stoppage time.

A one-goal deficit to take back to Villa Park for Tuesday’s second leg would, given the way the game had gone, have bred hope and optimism and a sense of anticipation. There would have been talk of a famous European night in the offing.

But then it all changed. A sharp pass through the heart of the Villa defence by Ousmane Dembele sent Nuno Mendes clear and a neat sidestep round goalkeeper Emi Martinez was all it took to deliver goal No 3. And so a tight tie suddenly became a story that sees Paris Saint-Germain with one foot in the semi-finals.

Villa can’t say they were hard done by. PSG were fabulous and exhilarating to watch whenever they poured forward.

This, at times, was less a football match and more an exercise in survival for the Premier League team. Villa’s defensive line — often numbering as many as six — stood like a white wall desperately trying to repel PSG’s crashing waves of blue.

PSG’s Georgian wide player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was absolutely spellbinding and French teenager Desire Doue was not far behind him. They scored the two PSG goals either side of half-time that drove the French champions in to the lead after Morgan Rogers had somehow put Villa in front in the 35th minute.

Desire Doue scored a superb goal as PSG came from behind to earn a 3-1 win over Aston Villa

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fooled Axel Disasi before he fired PSG ahead in the second half

Nuno Mendes added a third in second half stoppage time to give Villa a mountain to climb

Those two PSG goals were fabulous. Breathtaking, in fact. Had there only been two of them, we could have talked about them fondly but now it’s different. Goal No 3, rather less spectacular, may just have done for Emery’s team.

PSG tend to treat every Champions League home game like it is the last they will ever play. The sense of occasion can feel overwhelming. Sometimes it is tempting to wonder if it works against the French champions.

After a pre-game light display that felt like a mini-opening ceremony, Enrique’s team shot from the blocks like sprinters. This tie will last 180 minutes at least but, just as they had against Liverpool in the last 16, PSG looked desperate to win it within half an hour.

The home team were quick and expansive and skilful. They carried a threat that was direct and subtle. Villa defended deep as danger came from all angles.

PSG probably should have had a penalty in the seventh minute when Boubacar Kamara tripped Kvaratskhelia. The PSG forward went down but then, strangely, bounced back up. Play was waved on and Dembele drove a shot high towards goal and Martinez touched it over.

Martinez was happy to play the villain. He has history with the French from the 2022 World Cup final and was booed throughout his warm-up. Once the game started, he was busy as PSG probed and poked, trying to work their way to goal and occasionally shooting from distance.

Overloads down both sides troubled Villa who couldn’t get out. Kvaratskhelia was a constant nuisance, as was midfielder Vitinha and, increasingly, Doue.

Villa had Marcus Rashford playing as a centre forward with John McGinn supporting. The plan, presumably, was to stretch PSG on the break. Villa struggled to execute that plan but then scored with their first real attack.

Luis Enrique’s side have produced the best attacking football we’ve seen in Europe this season

Morgan Rogers had put Aston Villa ahead with a close range finish following a counter attack

Rogers goal had provoked jubilant celebrations from Prince William and George in the stands

PSG’s late third goal leaves Unai Emery’s side needing a dramatic turnaround at Villa Park

McGinn was the architect, robbing Nuno Mendes of possession like a street mugger in the French half. His pass out to Rashford on the left opened up space and when Youri Tielemans was fed on the overlap, his low cross was converted from six yards by Rogers at the far post.

Liverpool did this to PSG here as well, but their goal came much later. On this occasion, PSG had time to respond and did so almost immediately. Martinez fumbled a shot onto his post and conceded a corner and when the ball was recycled to the near side, Doue curled a quite special goal in off the underside of the bar from outside the box with his right foot.

The 19-year-old almost scored again four minutes later, finding space to work Martinez above his head and then driving another shot over. As we reached half-time, normal service had been resumed. There was to be no let up, either. In fact PSG’s football at the start of the second half was even better. Enrique’s team were sensational in producing some of the best attacking football we have seen in Europe this season.

The goal they scored in the 49th minute was quite stunning. Villa had replaced Matty Cash with Axel Disasi at half-time but Kvaratskhelia ran past him like he wasn’t there before delivering a smothering left-foot drive high above Martinez and into the roof of the net at the near post.

Could Martinez have done better? No keeper likes to be beaten there. But before asking the Argentine if he could have saved it, you may wish to ask him if he actually saw it. Speed and power were the key ingredients.

So Villa were now hanging on in Paris and it felt like a long way home. PSG were rampant, like liquid gold in blue. Hard to predict, almost impossible to stop.

Kvaratskhelia was just magnificent. What a talent. Fed by Dembele in the 56th minute, his shot was blocked by Disasi. He then put a George Best feint and body swerve on Rogers to race upfield and start a move that saw Martinez dive low to push away a shot from Achraf Hakimi.