Fans and players alike were left bemused as the anthem was played ahead of quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. It occurred while the players were lining up ahead of the Tuesday night clash at Villa Park.

After the initial confusion died down, the Villa fans inside the stadium responded by trying to drown out the Europa League anthem with cheers of their own, helping to create a raucous atmosphere of their own. However, prior to kicking off, the people running the PA system did find the Champions League anthem and played it over the stadium's speaker system.

Unsurprisingly, social media was quick to pick up on the bizarre gaffe. @gr6teful wrote on X: "All the PSG players are looking in confusion [two laughing emojis]."

@TacticallyMatt said: "One of the biggest nights in their history and someone plays the Europa League anthem instead of the Champions League one at Villa Park. That is hilarious."

@jbsoutar added: "The Europa League anthem is brilliant but you can't be whacking it over the Champions League one, lads."

The comedy of errors continued onto the pitch for Aston Villa in the early stages, with Aston Villa falling behind after just 10 minutes. Their steep task became mountainous when Marcus Rashford gave the ball away before Emi Martinez parried into the path of Achraf Hakimi, who gladly converted to give Paris Saint-Germain a three-goal aggregate cushion.

Villa were once again caught out high up the pitch midway through the first half, with Nuno Mendes adding to his goal from the first leg with a stunning left-footed strike from just inside the penalty area. The left-back took one touch to steady himself before whipping the ball into the far corner and seemingly eliminating any lasting hope the Premier League outfit might've had.

The home side did grab one back before the break with a deflected Youri Tielemans goal breaching the PSG backline to make it 5-2 on aggregate. It set the stage for a breathtaking second half, where Villa scored twice through John McGinn and Ezri Konsa to reduce the deficit to just one goal.

However, it would end in heartbreak for Unai Emery's side, who despite creating plenty of chances, were unable to find an equaliser. Villa return to action on Saturday afternoon when they host fellow Champions League chasers Newcastle United.