Unai Emery issues important request to Aston Villa supporters before PSG showdown at Villa Park

Unai Emery has reiterated the importance of the home advantage and has requested loud noise from supporters ahead of Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park.

Villa head into the game 3-1 down on aggregate following last week’s defeat in Paris. Morgan Rogers scored a surprise opener to roar the Parc des Princes away end into life but stunning goals from Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes were enough for the Parisiens to earn a commanding lead.

Emery knows just how challenging it will be to overcome the two-goal deficit and wants the fans to play their part in instilling belief in the players. The Spanish head coach believes the Villa Park faithful can truly be the 12th man to help his squad score first and go on to complete a famous turnaround.

If history is anything to go by, the impossible could well be possible, too, as PSG have been eliminated on three of the seven occasions they’ve held a two-goal lead from the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie. Villa are definitely the massive underdogs but it’s not over just yet.

“If we are connecting with our supporters, if we are transmitting energy, getting tactically and individually good things on the field, the supporters will add us energy — they will help us a lot and they are going to transmit the energy,” Emery said during his pre-match press conference.

“Always, for our players playing at home, the energy they can get from the supporters, it is positive. PSG can manage in different moments as well, focusing the match and not really involving the supporters. For us, it is important for our players, energy and our wishes. It is important how much the supporters can help us.”

Unai Emery outlines demand for Aston Villa players

A sell-out crowd is expected at Villa Park for what could be the last match of a tremendous Champions League campaign. Just qualifying for the competition was beyond the wildest dreams of many but to then go and make the last eight is an extraordinary achievement on top of that.

The third PSG goal at the Parc des Princes was a real sucker punch as a one-goal deficit would have felt far more surmountable. Nonetheless, a comeback from two goals down isn’t unheard of and the squad has a responsibility to remain competitive until the final whistle.

“It is for the players to be the protagonist to do their best work and get their best performance,” Emery added. “After the first leg, the result is for them [PSG]. They showed why they are favourites for this competition and played us.

“But we showed our capacity to compete and be close to have the possibility to beat them. Tomorrow, tactically, we are going to try to get our best individual and collective tactical idea to face them.

“We have to believe and show our wishes to win, respecting them in the same way we did there, but also using Villa Park like our home and our fortress. There are a lot of times that we are feeling it. To share with our supporters, who are really motivated for tomorrow.”