Dembele: "The best team? I was at Barca with Messi, the GOAT"

Aston Villa has no choice but to believe in a comeback in tonight's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain (22:00).

After a 3–1 defeat in the first leg, Unai Emery and his team are left with few options, and it's questionable how realistic a three-goal win is. And even if it happens, in a moment when Paris is rising above European football like leavened dough, could it be considered a miracle?

Let's start with the negatives—particularly from his time in charge of PSG in 2017. After a seemingly unreachable 4–0 win over Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, few expected the French champions to be humiliated in the return leg with a 6–1 defeat, now immortalized as “La Remontada.”

Now, Emery must create his own version of “La Remontada.”

To his credit, there have been positive examples as well—like in 2014 with Sevilla, when he managed to overturn a 2–0 first-leg deficit against Betis. That season, he went on to win the Europa League with the Andalusians.

“I’ve had experience with comebacks, both positive and negative,” said Emery ahead of the PSG clash. “Now it’s different, our desire is to write history with Aston Villa. Last season we played in the Conference League, now we’re in the Champions League and hoping to stay in Europe for a long time. Sometimes we lost away and won at home, sometimes the reverse. There were more wins than losses, but I’ve had negative experiences as well.”

PSG will surely have Emery’s history in mind too. If a 4–0 lead wasn’t safe at Camp Nou, why would a 3–1 lead be considered untouchable now?

Can Dembele be a candidate for Ballon d'Or at this pace?

Ousmane Dembele, who has been in fantastic form this season, warned that PSG hasn't come to Birmingham for sightseeing.

“We’re not here to speculate or protect a result,” said Dembele. “We’re here to play football and try to get another win. What’s the key to my form? People ask that a lot, but it also depends on the position I’m playing. I have a clear vision in front of goal, and my teammates serve me great passes—it’s on me to finish them.”

Asked which was the best team he’s played for, Dembele gave a thoughtful response: “I’ve played in some amazing teams. I don’t know if this is the best, because I was at Barca with Messi—the greatest of all time. Maybe this is the team I enjoy playing in the most.”

As for the squads, Aston Villa has no injury concerns ahead of the clash. Leon Bailey is back in the squad after missing time since the knockout tie against Club Brugge. Emery rested several key players over the weekend, so Ollie Watkins, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Boubacar Kamara, and John McGinn are all expected to start. Marco Asensio, on loan from PSG, is also eligible to play.

Luis Enrique also has a full squad and plenty of options. The most notable change will be the return of captain Marquinhos, who missed the first leg due to suspension.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - QUARTER-FINALS

Second leg

Tuesday

22:00: (3.50) Aston Villa (3.60) PSG (2.15)

22:00: (4.00) Dortmund (4.20) Barcelona (1.85)

Wednesday

22:00: (2.70) Inter (3.65) Bayern (2.60)

22:00: (1.75) Real Madrid (3.90) Arsenal (5.10)

***odds are subject to change***