EXCLUSIVE | ‘I think I would have sleepless nights’ – Alan Hutton previews PSG-Villa | OneFootball

Former Aston Villa and Scotland international Alan Hutton sat down with Get French Football News to discuss what we should expect from tonight’s Champions League quarter-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.

What were your thoughts on PSG eliminating Liverpool?

I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t because I’ve seen them play recently. I think they’ve got qualities all over the pitch. I believe that this is a better team than when they had the big superstar names because they are more of a team, and you can see that in the way that they played. I have no idea how they didn’t win the first leg, if I’m totally honest. I think that was a total smash and grab from Liverpool, but the way I see them play in that game, it was scary some of the movements… the way they open teams up and create opportunities. Overall, it didn’t surprise me over both legs.

Which PSG players have impressed you the most this season?

[Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia, I’ve watched a number of times. Especially international-wise, when playing against Scotland. I think he’s a good acquisition for the club. Ousmane Dembélé –  his numbers this season – after Barcelona, you thought, can he hit those heights, and he’s just shown he can. I think there’s quality all over the pitch. Nuno Mendes kept [Mohamed] Salah very quiet over the two legs; I thought he was outstanding. I think if you look throughout the whole team, Bradley Barcola as well, they can all create problems. Villa are going to have to be in top form to slow them down.

Barcola is an interesting one because he would have been the player that you would have faced. How would you have approached him?

[Laughs] I think I would have sleepless nights if I’m being totally honest with you. It would have been very difficult. I think as a defender, you try and be close, you try and be aggressive. The problem that you have with Barcola is that he’s very comfortable in those situations. He’s very easy on the eye with the ball at his feet, he can manipulate it and move it, and make it difficult for you. But if it was me, I would be needing help. You’d be looking for your centre-half to come across and help you out. Maybe the winger that’s playing in front of you to drop back and not give him the space he needs. So it doesn’t just come down to one player; it comes down to multiple, and if you can slow him down that way.

What should we expect from Villa across the two matches?

I think in the first leg, which is away from home, they’ll try and slow them down, they’ll try and be defensively solid. Good blocks, and when they can get the ball back, they can try to counter quickly in transition moments. They’ll know that if they’re too expansive and they open up, this PSG team will pick them off, and it could be finished in the first leg. So they’ll know they’ll have to be defensive and bide their time. It’s going to take a collective performance from them all if they’re going to try and get something from this.

Which Villa players do you reckon will shine in this tie?

I hope all of them. I think the first leg will be different, as I said. It’ll be more defensive, so you’ll be looking at the likes of Morgan Rogers to break quickly, and if Rashford plays, he can break quickly. These kinds of guys that can do something. Probably in the second leg – depending on what the score is from the first leg – they might open up a little bit more, and you’ll see more flair players, but those are the type of players that I think Villa will lean on and with Youri Tielemans in midfield to play these through balls and quick transition moments. Those are the guys to look out for in the first leg.

Emiliano Martínez has got quite a reputation in France (after eliminating France in the World Cup final and Lille in the Europa League quarter-final). He mentioned the stadium would be turned on him and that it would take the heat off the rest of the team. Is he right?

I understand what he’s talking about. He likes it, he’s got big shoulders. He can take the heat. And I think he loves it. All the winding people up and everything that goes with him. I think he enjoys it. It makes him ultra-focused. It makes him up for these big moments. And he’s had a lot of them in his career. He’s a huge player for Villa. You look at Liverpool’s Alisson, his performance in the first-leg [against PSG], and Martínez is going to have to be like that and play to such a high level if Villa are to get through… PSG are going to have a lot of possession. They’re going to have a lot of opportunities, and Martínez is built for those big moments, big saves, and he thrives off it. He’s going to have to be at his best.

PSG have been labelled the favourites against Villa. Is that a fair assessment?

Yeah definitely. I think they go into this as favourites. I think in many people’s eyes, they are one of the ones that could go on to win it. So it’s going to be down to Villa to stop them. I know in the league phase, PSG probably weren’t at their best, but they’ve really stepped it up after that. The games against Stade Brestois and the Liverpool games. So I think it’s a fair judgment to say that they go into this as favourites.

Alan Hutton was speaking exclusively to GFFN on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk.

GFFN | Nick Hartland