Marco Asensio about to receive perfect chance for Aston Villa redemption Marco Asensio will have the chance to bounce back from the disappointment of seeing two penalties saved..
Marco Asensio has the perfect opportunity to hit the headlines for the right reasons again next week after seeing two penalties saved in Aston Villa’s 3-0 win at Southampton.
The Spaniard had been in scintillating form since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring eight goals in his first 11 appearances — including braces in three successive home matches.
He returned to the French capital on Wednesday when Villa faced PSG in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. However, Emery opted to name him on the bench rather than start him against his parent club.
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Villa scored an unlikely opener through Morgan Rogers in the first half, but their lead didn’t last long as Désiré Doué equalised before the break.
After Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turned the game around, Emery turned to Asensio on the hour mark, bringing him on in place of Jacob Ramsey.
Villa conceded a third late on, but Emery claimed it didn’t change the complexion of the tie, suggesting that Villa would have needed to score at least a couple of goals on the night to win regardless.
Asensio’s quality will be key if Villa are to have a chance of causing a major upset on Tuesday night.
Since he and Marcus Rashford arrived at Villa, no team in the Premier League has collected more points than Unai Emery’s side.
A player of Asensio’s quality and experience won’t lose much sleep over two missed penalties at St Mary’s. In fact, he’ll be determined to put on a show against PSG to prove a point.
Before the first leg in Paris, Luis Enrique said he wasn’t concerned about Asensio potentially featuring for Villa.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Enrique said. “I’m delighted that Marco Asensio can play. He hasn’t had any game time here so he had the option of going to Birmingham. It’s good that he’s playing.
“I shared a lot with him in the national team. I had the opportunity to have him during a World Cup. He is a very important player for me.
“He was important during last season, but also at the beginning of this season. He is a very high-class player. He was important at the start of the season and I know him perfectly well.”
Although Enrique acknowledges Asensio’s talent, the fact that he didn’t give the playmaker much game time earlier this season serves as an added incentive for Asensio to deliver the magic Emery’s side need to create one of the most memorable nights in the club’s recent history.
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