LONDON: Paris St Germain and Barcelona survived spirited comebacks from Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund respectively to reach the Champions League semi-finals despite defeats in the second leg of their quarter-finals ties on Tuesday.

PSG looked to be cruising through after following up their 3-1 first-leg victory by racing into a 2-0 lead at Villa Park but the Premier League outfit hit back to win 3-2 on the night, while Barça, who travelled to Germany to face last season`s runners-up Borussia Dortmund with a 4-0 advantage, had their position threatened in a 3-1 defeat their first loss this year.

Dortmund went all-out attack in the hope of pulling off an unlikely recovery and deserved to lead by more than Serhou Guirassy`s 11th-minute penalty at the break.

Guirassy finally doubled the lead after 49 minutes but Dortmund`s momentum was halted when Ramy Bensebaini turned into his own net.

Dortmund rallied again and Guirassy completed his treble 14 minutes from time but it was not enough as Hansi Flick`s Barca held on to reach the last four for the first time in six years.

`It will be important to analyse this game, but we`ve accumulated a lot of matches, and it could be normal [to have a dip], said Flick. `But that was also down to Dortmund, who did really well. What the team has achieved in recent weeks is phenomenal. We`re now one step further, but we`re still a long way from the end.

Villa also fell short despite producing a heroic response to goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in the opening 27 minutes.

Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa all struck as Villa got within one goal of taking the tie to extratime but Luis Enrique`s PSG just did enough and prevailed 5-4 on aggregate.

`You can never be over-confident, because a football match can change in an instant,` Luis Enrique acknowledged after Tuesday`s game. `We can savour this because it is always difficult to get through to the ChampionsLeague semi-finals. It is the second consecutive year and we are very happy.

A year ago, PSG lost to Dortmund in the semis. Kylian Mbappe has since departed, but Luis Enrique has succeeded in making the Qatar-backed side stronger without him, Tuesday`s second half notwithstanding.

`There were lots of doubts about the team but I think the team is even better than last year and we will fight for every trophy right to the end,` said the coach.

PSG will face the winner of Arsenal-Real Madrid, while Barcelona will play against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

CHANGED TEAM PSG`s qualification exposed some of the team`s weaknesses, but also marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Luis Enrique`s youthful side.

The defeat at a raucous Villa Park was another reminder that PSG`s collection of talented but inexperienced players still struggle under pressure, yet the Ligue 1 champions advanced.

Unlike previous years, when collapses defined their Europeancampaigns, PSG showed resilience bending, but not breaking, finding some form of control after squandering their lead.

PSG had done the hard work in Paris, yet on Tuesday, in the face of relentless pressure and a frenetic English crowd, the team showed familiar signs of nerves.

Misplaced passes, rash decisions, and an overall lack of control allowed Villa to sense blood.

`It wasn`t our best game, that`s clear,` Luis Enrique said. `But what I saw was a team that suffered together. And that`s new.

For years, PSGs Champions League story has been one of disappointment. The 2017 `remontada` against Barcelona, when they squandered a 4-0 first-leg lead, and the 2019 heartbreak against Manchester United, remain painful scars for the club.

On Tuesday, some of those same ghosts threatened to return as PSG lost the plot early in the second half. But instead of unravelling, PSG managed the games emotional weight. Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall in goal with several world class saves that showed that a pinch of experience was paramount at that level.

`I`ve been through difficultmoments so Pm going to savour this one,` said captain Marquinhos, who was on the team who was humiliated at the Camp Nou in 2017. `But we stayed together in the face of adversity. Now we need to improve because these kind of errors will not be permitted in the semi-finals.

With an average age well under 25, PSGs project under Luis Enrique has been focused on long-term growth rather than instant results and mid-season in 2023-24, the Spaniard said he was preparing the following term.

With big names gone, PSG allowed the emergence of homegrown talents, and composed performances under pressure like against Liverpool in the last 16, are signs of a changing mentality in Paris.

For the first time in years, PSG move forward not with swagger, but with scars and perhaps, at last, with a little steel.

QUADRUPLE HUNT Barca reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2019 but the defeat by Dortmund gave the Catalans cause for concern as Flick`s side lost their unbeaten start to 2025, fallingat the 25th hurdle.

Barca have been the competition`s most entertaining side and for the first time in years are serious contenderstoliftthe trophy, but their undoing in Germany sapped at their confidence.

`There was not a great atmosphere in the dressing room... it was only when I told them, `Lads, we`re in the semi-finals,` that it lifted a bit,` said Flick.

Barca started well this season before a dismal slump towards the end of 2024 when they lost momentum and belief, before recovering after the winter break.

As quickly as things changed for the better, they can change again for worse, particularly given Barcelona`s hectic schedule as they battle for a potential quadruple.

`It will be important to analyse this game, but we`ve accumulated a lot of matches, and it could be normal (to have a dip), said Flick.

The visit to Dortmund was their seventh game in a 20-day spell and unfortunately for Flick, this match showed the coach he cannot afford to rest key players.

The German benched midfield maestro Pedri Gonzalez and Barcelona suffered for it, unable to control the game, pushed back by the hosts.

Inigo Martinez was also rested, with Ronald Araujo stepping in, and the Uruguayan had an uncomfortable night, still not finding his footing under Flick after injury.

Gerard Martin is limited at left-back but must play in the next few weeks with Alejandro Balde injured and unlikely to return by the time Barca face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 26.

Guirassy`s three goals gave Barca flashbacks to their dark recent history in the Champions League, with the 4-0 defeat at Anfield by Liverpool, and capitulation against Roma coming to mind but Flick tried his best to see the positives.

`We are still in three competitions. We are in the Champions League semi-finals,` he said.

`This is a huge success and something we should be very happy about.`-Agencies