Ousmane Dembele Refuses Man of the Match Award After PSG’s UCL Loss to Aston Villa

• Ousmane Dembele refused to accept the Man of the Match award after PSG’s 3-2 loss to Aston Villa
• The French giants advanced to the Champions League semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win against a spirited Villa team
• Dembele has warned his PSG teammates against complacency in future matches in the Champions League

Ousmane Dembele turned heads on Tuesday night, not just for his on-field performance, but for an unexpected gesture following Paris Saint-Germain’s shock UEFA Champions League quarter-final loss to Aston Villa.

Although PSG progressed to the semi-finals, the French forward flat-out rejected the Man of the Match award, a gesture that has caused heavy backlash on social media.

According to MSN, PSG entered the second leg against Villa with a comfortable 3-1 lead from the first leg in Paris and looked to be cruising after early goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes had pushed the aggregate to 5-1. But Unai Emery’s side mounted an astonishing comeback attempt.

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Youri Tielemans and John McGinn scored on either side of halftime to bring hope back to the English side, before Ezri Konsa’s calm finish, set up brilliantly by Marcus Rashford, ignited Villa Park.

Konsa’s goal reduced the deficit to just one goal as PSG's commanding lead had quickly turned into a tension-soaked game, with the hosts just one strike away from forcing extra time.

Dembele’s snub MOTM Award

Despite the momentum swinging dramatically, PSG held on, largely thanks to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s sensational saves in the dying minutes.

On the final whistle, Ousmane Dembele was named Man of the Match.

The Frenchman’s reaction, however, caused a stir after he bluntly refused to accept the award.

Dembele, evidently disappointed by the team’s complacency, reluctantly posed for photos with the award before refusing to take it with him, storming down the tunnel in frustration.

Footage showed the winger visibly upset, making it clear he believed Donnarumma deserved the honour.

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Lessons learned for PSG says Dembele

In his post-match interview captured by Yahoo Sports, Dembele did not hold back after he took a jibe at his teammates.

He admitted that PSG had underestimated Villa after going 2-0 up and paid the price with a nervy finish.

“We thought we were too good. At 2-1, we thought we were already qualified and that it was over.

“That’s how the Champions League goes. You face teams whose supporters are as hot as that, and they can turn the game on its head. We will have to be more demanding in the semi-finals.”

Despite the scare, PSG are through and one step closer to a historic first Champions League title.

Barcelona seal second semi-final spot

Earlier, Legit.ng also reported that Hansi Flick was not a happy man even though Barcelona progressed to the UEFA Champions League semi-final. His team lost 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park, almost bottling the lead from the first leg.

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Barcelona came into the tie with a four-goal advantage from their win in Spain, but the night nearly turned catastrophic after a disappointing performance.

Source: Legit.ng