Emery Urges Aston Villa to Capitalise on Home Advantage in Second Leg Against PSG

Aston Villa must leverage their home ground advantage and draw inspiration from their fans during the crucial second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park on Tuesday, according to manager Unai Emery.

Villa initially took the lead in the first leg with a goal from Morgan Rogers, but PSG responded with goals from Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Nuno Mendes, ultimately winning the match 3-1.

“PSG possess significant experience in playing away matches, both in France and across Europe, and we too have our own experience,” Emery stated when addressing the media on Monday.

“However, we will focus on connecting with our supporters to channel their energy… if we perform well both tactically and individually on the pitch, I am confident our fans will elevate our energy and offer us tremendous support.

“They will continuously transmit that energy to our players.”

Emery expressed that Villa would adhere to their game strategy, adding: “Our main goal is to achieve a positive result in the second leg. While their 3-1 win does impact the situation, it doesn’t change our mindset significantly. We still need to win.

“We needed to win by 2-1, and now it’s 3-1, so we must aim for a win with at least one more goal… We executed our desired game plan in Paris, although the outcome wasn’t what we anticipated. If we find ourselves ahead, we can maintain proximity.

“Our aim is to implement a robust tactical plan tomorrow and remain consistent, while also adapting to how the match unfolds over 90 minutes.”

The Spaniard noted that striker Ollie Watkins, who has played in just one of Villa’s last five fixtures due to a knee issue, is in good form despite limited appearances, highlighting his goal from the bench in a 3-0 Premier League victory against Southampton on Saturday.

“He demonstrated that he is feeling fantastic and is scoring goals. He played well for 30 minutes (against Southampton),” Emery remarked.

“This illustrates the depth we have within our squad. We must utilise their talents to benefit the team, whether that’s for 30 minutes, 10 minutes, or even five minutes. That’s the mentality we need tomorrow.”