Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona have booked their spots in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, surviving tense and action-packed quarterfinal second-leg encounters against Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

PSG Survive Late Aston Villa Surge

Despite a 3-2 loss in the second leg at Villa Park, Paris Saint-Germain progressed on aggregate thanks to their dominant 3-1 victory in the first leg. The Ligue 1 champions appeared to have sealed the tie early on, with Achraf Hakimi opening the scoring in the 11th minute and Nuno Mendes adding a second in the 27th, giving PSG a commanding 5-1 aggregate lead.

However, Aston Villa responded with determination. Youri Tielemans pulled one back in the 34th minute, followed by quickfire goals from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa in the second half. Despite Villa’s spirited comeback and 3-2 win on the night, it was not enough to overturn the deficit, and PSG advanced with a 5-4 aggregate scoreline.

Barcelona Hold Off Dortmund Despite Second-Leg Defeat

Barcelona, armed with a 4-0 advantage from the first leg, faced a resurgent Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. The German side launched an aggressive start, with Serhou Guirassy converting a penalty in the 11th minute. Barcelona responded through a first-half goal by Raphinha, seemingly ending Dortmund’s hopes.

Nevertheless, Dortmund continued to press. An own goal by Ramy Bensebaini in the 54th minute and a second strike from Guirassy gave the Bundesliga outfit a 3-1 victory on the night. However, their efforts fell short as Barcelona advanced 5-3 on aggregate.