Alan Shearer can’t believe stunning Marcus Rashford in Aston Villa v PSG: ‘Wow’
Alan Shearer was left stunned by the impact of Marcus Rashford for Aston Villa during their Champions League clash with PSG.
Unai Emery‘s side went into that Champions League quarter final second leg on Tuesday night (15 April) at Villa Park needing to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg.
Ahead of the game, some were surprised that Rashford was named ahead of Ollie Watkins in the starting lineup against PSG.
Things started badly for Aston Villa as goalkeeper Emi Martinez helped to gift PSG an opener, before Nuno Mendes made it 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.
Youri Tielemans’ deflected strike then pulled a goal back for Aston Villa before half time, before John McGinn reduced the aggregate deficit to two with a long range effort shortly after the break.
It was at that point that Rashford then made his major contribution to the game as the hosts looked to level the tie.
Marcus Rashford tees up Ezri Konsa
Just moments after McGinn had got his goal for Aston Villa, the ball was picked up on the right-wing by Rashford.
The on-loan Man United winger then produced a brilliant run in the PSG penalty area, where he evaded several opposition defenders in the process.
From there, he then pulled back a perfectly weighted ball to Ezri Konsa, with the centre-back able to finish expertly into the bottom corner to ensure Aston Villa trailed by just a single goal.
It was the contribution to that goal of Rashford that would really catch the eye of Shearer as he commentated on the game for Amazon Prime Sport.
Speaking about that assist from the England international, the Premier League’s record goalscorer said (9.14pm): “Wow, Marcus Rashford, wow.
“The way he twists and turns the defenders think he’s going one way, he then cuts back inside and then gets to the byline.
“He hasn’t got a clue which way to go. He has a little look there, maybe thinks he’s offside, but he sticks it through his legs, then he goes past him with ease and has the ability to pull it back into the path of Konsa.
“Superbly-weighted ball and it’s just so inviting to hit, and he just caresses it into the corner past the goalkeeper.”
Ultimately though that would not quite be enough for Aston Villa, as their efforts to find a fifth goal in the tie came up just short to ensure PSG progressed with a 5-4 win on aggregate.
| Marcus Rashford vs PSG | Total (as per SofaScore) |
| Minutes Played | 76 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Accurate Passes | 11/15 |
| Duels Won | 6/12 |
| Successful Dribbles | 4/9 |
Aston Villa will surely want to keep Man United loanee
Football Insider Verdict
There has been plenty of talk about whether Aston Villa will sign Rashford permanently from Man United this summer amid interest from the likes of Barcelona.
On the basis of how he has fared since his arrival at Villa Park though, those connected with the club will surely want to make such a deal happen.
The 27-year-old has rediscovered some of the form that he had lost at Old Trafford, making some vital contributions for Emery’s side with his creativity in particular.
His assist for Konsa here was a reminder that when things are right, Rashford can be a major threat even against the very best clubs in world football.
As a result it could be a major boost to the cause for Aston Villa if they were to secure a longer-term deal for the England international.
But given other clubs will surely have been alerted to his form here, it would be no surprise if they have to contend with interest from elsewhere in the fight for his services.