The team wasn’t as attack-minded as predicted, a reminder that Villa had the entire game to get two goals and that conceding early would have effectively killed the tie. Which is what they proceeded to do, when a mix-up between Emiliano Martinez and Pau Torres led to PSG scoring after eleven minutes. If that wasn’t bad enough, the visitors went two up on the night after 27. That, surely, was it.

In normal situations the rest of the match would have been played at half-speed in front of a silent and gradually dwindling crowd. This is Villa Park, and we don’t do normal. Not only that, but this is Unai Emery’s club, his kingdom, and more than anything he’s instilled a belief that no cause is ever lost until the end. The crowd roared, the players were inspired and the fun could begin.

A shot by Youri Tielemans was deflected into the net to give Villa hope going into half-time. The team came out for the second half determined that if this was to be a step too far, they would be taking it defiantly. Everyone inside Villa Park knew what was going to happen and eight minutes into the second half, it did. John McGinn scored some memorable goals for us in the Championship. Now he scored another in the Champions League. The noise levels rose from inspiring to frenzied, and kept on rising. Two minutes after McGinn’s goal Marcus Rashford worked wonders to lay the ball on for Ezri Konsa. Three-two, more than half an hour to go, and even Villa Park has rarely known a night like it.

McGinn was replaced by Marco Asensio and Rashford by Ollie Watkins. There may have been some doubt as to why Emery took these decisions, but both players who went off had given everything and there are still big games to come. In any case, Villa’s tempo continued. Tielemans’ header was somehow kept out, Asensio had a one on one but seemed to miscontrol before shooting too close to the keeper. Konsa missed the ball when he was clean through and in the final minute Ian Maatsen’s shot was blocked as it was headed for the bottom corner.

Reactions at the final whistle told the entire story. The players were on their knees, the supporters rose to applaud their efforts, PSG knew they’d scraped through. The result might not have been right but the night was, indeed, a great one.

We’ve learned a lot from this European odyssey. Individual players have shown that they can compete at this level and the team have shown that they can cope with the pressure of an extended run in the world’s biggest club tournament. This time last year we were running on empty, now we’re flying. Most of all we’ve seen that you might not be able to beat what is on current form the best team in Europe after handing them a three goal start. But you can give them one hell of a fright.