Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford Targets PSG Hat-Trick As Marco Asensio Returns In Champions League

Marcus Rashford returns to Paris Saint-Germain with Aston Villa Wednesday looking for a hat-trick of victories at the Home of the Champions of France while Marco Asensio can harm his parent club. The two players have impressed since the signing of the men of Unai Emery in the winter transfer window, marking 11 goals combined all the competitions. Villa heads towards Paris in a floating mood at the back of seven consecutive victories in all competitions-they are sixth in the Premier League and face Crystal Palace in the semi-final of the FA Cup later this month.

Rashford will have a spring in his approach after having played a central role twice in the warranty of victories for the Manchester United childhood club at the PSG princes park stadium.

In 2019, during a second row meeting in the Champions League, in the second place league, he marked a penalty of time to stop, ensuring that United progressed on goals outside.

Two seasons later, in the competition phases of the competition, Rashford struck again late to seal the three points in a 2-1 success.

This time, the winger of England, who has already been linked to a move to PSG, will wear a different kit after leaving Trafford under a cloud.

The rejuvenated striker, who provided a certain number of assists, scored his first Premier League goal for Villa against Brighton last week, three days after scoring twice in the quarter-final victory of the FA Cup 3-0 against Preston.

Emery, who directed PSG from 2016 to 2018, said that Rashford, also recalled by the manager of England, Thomas Tuchel last month was on the right track.

There is still an uncertainty as to whether the 27 -year -old will stay at Villa next season, but for the moment, his goal is to win the Champions League with his new club – something he has ever managed to United.

“He himself recovers confidence by playing football, being focused only on football, being with his teammates also at ease, identifying and understanding our style, our requests,” said Emery.

“Everything with him is gradually improving.”

Pedigree asensio

Asensio, triple winner of the Champions League with Real Madrid, was a revelation at Villa Park, marking eight goals in 11 appearances, including three at the last stadium while Villa beat the Brugge 6-1 club on the total.

The Spaniard, 29, has already scored more goals under compatriot Emery in two months than he succeeded in all of his fate with PSG, which he joined in 2023.

ASENSIO can play because UEFA rules indicate that clubs cannot apply “no influence on players that another club can (or not) a field in a match”.

Villa midfielder Amadou Onana said the two loan signatures had a major impact at the Birmingham Club.

“The two are fine,” he told the UEFA YouTube channel outside Pitch. “You could see right away when they arrived, the direct impact.

“The two have played as high as possible and even for us, young players, it is training and learning inspiring daily.”

Emery, who won the Europa League on the second level four times during his managerial career, will be desperate to beat the former PSG employers, who beat Liverpool in the last 16 and has just won the title Ligue 1.

Onana thinks that the 1982 European Champions Villa, which last time played in the club’s club competition the following season, can reach the semi-finals but knows that it will be difficult against an impressive PSG team.

“Do we dream? Yes and no because I think we have the quality as a team where we are, but obviously we have to be realistic,” he said.

“PSG is, for me, one of the contenders for this Champions League, so it will certainly be difficult.”

(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)