Kvaratskhelia's wonder goal helps PSG beat Aston Villa 3-1 in 1st leg of CL quarterfinals

PARIS (AP) — A wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia upstaged a brilliant curling shot from teammate Désiré Doué as Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.

After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, the 19-year-old Doué drew PSG level four minutes later with the 12th goal of his breakthrough season.

Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front four minutes after the break and left back Nuno Mendes added a third goal in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes stadium with a fine finish of his own to the dismay of watching Villa fans, including Britain's Prince William.

“I think the result reflects the difference between us and them,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, whose side has greater firepower and showed more of a threat going forward. “Our objective is to keep the ball and be aggressive in attack.”

Kvaratskhelia's was the goal of the night.

He sprinted down the left from just over the halfway line and then mesmerized Villa's defense in a blizzard of quick feet and superb balance.

Advancing at pace with the ball seemingly glued to his right foot, he then wrong-footed defender Axel Disasi with a sudden change of direction, before rolling the ball onto his left foot in one smooth motion and blasting an unstoppable shot over the head of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

“For a coach like me it’s so great to have a player like him, with his mentality. He scored a brilliant goal,” Luis Enrique said about Kvaratskhelia. “We tried to sign him last summer and it didn't work out. We signed him (in January) when we didn't really expect to. He's got everything to be part of our project.”

The return leg is next Tuesday.

In Wednesday’s other game, five-time champion Barcelona crushed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 with veteran striker Robert Lewandowski scoring twice either side of goals from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

Kvaratskhelia belongs in such elite company.

His goal was exactly the kind of effort that earned the flying Georgia winger the nickname “ Kvaradona ” when he was playing for Napoli, in reference to soccer maestro Diego Maradona — the Italian club’s greatest ever player — and prompted PSG coach Luis Enrique to spend 70 million euros (then $72 million) on him in the winter transfer window.

Shortly after Kvaratskhelia’s goal, Martinez made a great save low to his right against Achraf Hakimi’s powerful shot as PSG poured forward looking for a third goal.

Villa was at this stage of the competition for the first time since 1983 and dealt well with early pressure before taking the lead with a well-worked goal.

Bustling captain John McGinn won the ball in midfield and advanced before picking out Marcus Rashford, the forward who scored a stoppage-time winner here for Manchester United six years ago. Rashford fed Youri Tielemans overlapping down the left and he pinged a cross to the back post where Rogers was left unmarked to tap in.

The lead was brief as Doué picked up the ball on the left of the penalty area, skipped past two players and curled the ball into the top right corner.

“He's got everything he needs to become a great player,” Luis Enrique said. “He really doesn't need much space to dribble.”

Martinez played long balls early on to test PSG's defense, but he was soon called into action with a flying save from Dembélé’s angled strike in the eighth minute.

He couldn't do much about the goals that beat him, however, with Nuno Mendes showing a forward's touch when he latched onto Dembélé's pass, cut inside a defender and deftly guided the ball in.

“We’ve watched their last few games and know how deadly and sharp they’ve been,” Rogers said. “They’ve put the world on notice now.”

But Villa coach Unai Emery believes he can still eliminate the club he coached from 2016-18.

“I believe we will win next week," he said. "Villa Park is our home."

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, centre, challenges for the ball with Aston Villa's Amadou Onana, left, and Aston Villa's Pau Torres, right, during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in action during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery gestures during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Britain's Prince William, right, with his eldest son Prince George on the stages during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford stands on the pitch during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG's Desire Doue celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

PSG's Desire Doue, right, takes a shot during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

PSG players celebrate after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored their second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, on the ground, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dillon Dingler capped a five-run eighth inning with a three-run homer, Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres each hit a solo shot in the third, and the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 10-4 win over the skidding Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

Spencer Torkelson added a two-run homer — his ninth of the season — in a three-run ninth as Detroit improved to an American League-best 20-12 and sent the Angels to their sixth straight loss.

Tigers starter Casey Mize (5-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings, including Logan O’Hoppe’s solo homer in the second and Jorge Soler’s two-run shot in the third.

Detroit trailed 4-2 in the eighth when Torres, who had three hits, singled off reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, who had retired the side in order in the seventh. Angels manager Ron Washington summoned left-hander Reid Detmers (0-2), who walked Riley Greene and gave up an RBI single to Andy Ibáñez.

Angels center fielder Jo Adell fumbled Ibáñez’s hit for an error, allowing two runners to advance. One out later, Zach McKinstry lined an RBI single that tied it and Dingler, who had three hits, drove a 409-foot homer to left for a 7-4 lead.

Los Angeles left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gave up two runs and five hits in five innings, striking out five and walking one.

Angels right fielder Mike Trout, who was pulled from Wednesday’s game in Seattle because of left knee soreness, was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a bone bruise.

The three-time American League MVP, who had two operations to repair a torn meniscus in the knee last season, was injured when his foot hit first base on a third-inning groundout. Washington said the injury “is not serious,” but that Trout “needs some rest.”

Báez, the Tigers’ shortstop-turned-center fielder, made a leaping catch of Soler’s fifth-inning drive above the yellow line on the right-center field wall to take away a home run.

Soler’s two-run shot in the third was the Angels’ second homer with a runner on base since April 10. Of the team’s 43 home runs this season, 33 have been solo shots.

Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.34 ERA), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, starts Friday night against Angels RHP Jose Soriano (2-4, 4.50).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Detroit Tigers' Javier Baez (28) high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers' Dillon Dingler runs the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene, left, makes contact with the ball during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Angels' Logan O'Hoppe, right, makes contact with the ball during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney, left, tags out Los Angeles Angels' Kevin Newman (10) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers' Javier Baez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers' Dillon Dingler watches his home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Detroit Tigers' Dillon Dingler hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)