Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) registered a dominant second-half performance to defeat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Parc des Princes. The French giants now lead comfortably by two goals heading into the return leg at Villa Park.

It was Aston Villa who finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Morgan Rogers capitalized on a slip of Nuno Mendes' defense, slotting the ball coolly past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goal stunned the home crowd and momentarily gave Villa the upper hand.

But PSG didn't wait to respond. Just four minutes later, Désiré Doué equalized with a stunning curling shot from the edge of the box, turning the tie back in the hosts' favor. The 19-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of the night, showing maturity far beyond his young years.

The Parisians took over totally in the early part of the second half. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia beat Villa's defense with a thread in the 49th minute and scored to make PSG lead with a clinical goal. The Georgian winger's pace and creativity were too much for Villa's defense to handle.

Villa pressured for an equalizer, but it was to no use. In stoppage time, Nuno Mendes atoned for his previous error by scoring PSG's third goal, finishing off a smooth counterattack to seal the victory and a valuable cushion for the second leg.

PSG manager Luis Enrique was impressed by his team's determination: "We didn't panic when we went behind, played our own game, and came back in a quality manner. That is the kind of mentality you need in order to reach far in Europe."

For Aston Villa, it was a night of defensive mistakes and squandered opportunity. Manager Unai Emery conceded the job at hand but was optimistic: "We're not out of it. We have to believe, especially at home. Villa Park will be electric."

The two sides will face each other again on April 16 in Birmingham. Aston Villa will need a near-flawless performance of football to take the tie into extra time, while PSG will seek to book a semi-final place for the first time since 2021.

With a young and skilled squad going full pelt, PSG look to be well set to make a serious Champions League run this campaign.