The way Unai Emery has tried to explain it, Nuno Mendes’s injury-time goal at the Parc des Princes didn’t alter much. The temptation was to think it made Aston Villa’s task twice as hard, from the tough to the borderline impossible. Emery disagreed, both in the wake of defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week and ahead of the rematch.
“From 2-1 to 3-1 is changing something,” he said. “A lot? No, because we have to win. Now we have to win with one more goal.” One more? Villa mustered one, marvellously constructed, goal in the French capital but they only had one other shot on target and mustered a mere nine touches in the PSG box. Now they need two goals, plus a clean sheet, just to ensure an extra 30 minutes. “If we are getting extra time, fantastic and if we are getting a penalty shootout, it could be fantastic,” argued Emery.
