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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia genius helps give PSG Champions League edge against Villa

"They produced moments of brilliance. Now we have to do the job in the return. We will have to open up a bit more but it is still doable"

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Paris Saint-Germain`s Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (C) is congratulated by Paris Saint-Germain`s Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi (R) after scoring Paris Saint-Germain`s second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and Aston Villa (ENG) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Pic/AFP

Paris Saint-Germain`s Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (C) is congratulated by Paris Saint-Germain`s Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi (R) after scoring Paris Saint-Germain`s second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and Aston Villa (ENG) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Pic/AFP

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored one of the great Champions League goals as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday. Morgan Rogers had given Villa a 35th-minute lead at the Parc des Princes to silence the home fans, but PSG were quickly back level through a fine strike by Desire Doue. Kvaratskhelia then took centre stage with a stunning effort on 49 minutes, before Nuno Mendes added a crucial third in stoppage time, giving PSG a significant two-goal cushion to take into the return in Birmingham next Tuesday. Having eliminated Liverpool in the last 16, Luis Enrique's team are now in a very strong position to reach the semi-finals for the second season running. 

"We are happy with this result but we have to keep going because there is the second game and the job is not finished," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus, before claiming he could not clearly recall his sublime goal. "It was OK. I didn't remember it exactly but now I will check inside so I will see if it was quite good." Villa, who had Prince William in the Paris crowd backing them along with his son George, will need to produce a memorable fightback at home if they are to make the last four of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 1982. "We managed to get the opening goal which is about the hardest thing to do, but we were up against a great team. You have to admit that," Lucas Digne told Canal Plus. "They produced moments of brilliance. Now we have to do the job in the return. We will have to open up a bit more but it is still doable." 

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