In a recent Champions League fixture between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), an unexpected incident occurred that led to former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, taking a playful jab at Manchester United’s on-loan forward, Marcus Rashford.
As the players of both teams lined up in front of the crowd before kick-off at Villa Park, the Europa League anthem was mistakenly played instead of the iconic Champions League music. This left both sets of players looking puzzled as they prepared for their match. Even Villa defender Ezri Konsa couldn't hide his reaction as he facepalmed and shook his head.
Carragher, who was covering CBS Sports’ live coverage saw this mix-up as an opportunity to make light-hearted banter. As the camera panned to Rashford, Carragher fired shots.
Jamie Carragher, Liverpool legend, said:
‘I mean, actually… Marcus Rashford seems fine – he’s used to it,’ Carragher said, in reference to United’s frequent failure to reach the Champions League.
Nail-biting encounter
Despite this pre-match hiccup and confusion over anthems, Aston Villa managed an impressive 3-2 victory against PSG in their return leg on Tuesday night. However, this wasn't enough for them to secure a spot in the Champions League semi-final as PSG won 5-4 on aggregate.
PSG had taken a two-goal lead in the first half through Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes but Unai Emery’s side staged an impressive comeback with Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Konsa all finding back of net. Unfortunately for Villa fans though they were unable to find that vital fourth goal before full-time whistle which brought their impressive run in this season's Champions league campaign to an end.
While the mix-up with the Europa League anthem provided a moment of humor and an opportunity for Carragher to aim a dig at Rashford, it was ultimately the on-field action that took center stage. Despite their exit from the Champions League, Aston Villa's performance against PSG demonstrated their potential and resilience in one of football's most prestigious tournaments.
