Emi Martinez risks wrath of PSG fans with subtle message during Aston Villa clash

Aston Villa goalkeeper dyed part of his hair in the colours of the Argentina flag ahead of Villa's quarter-final first leg against . The goalkeeper's actions acted as a reminder of his performance in the 2022 World Cup final, when to lift the trophy in .

Former star Martinez pulled off a big save from Randal Kolo Muani to send the final to penalties, The South American then kept out a spot-kick from Kingsley Coman before Coman's compatriot Aurelien Tchouameni missed the target from 12 yards.

A number of the home fans at the Parc des Princes will also have been cheering on Les Bleus in Qatar. Ousmane Dembele, one of PSG's current stars, was also in France's starting XI as they fell short against Martinez and Argentina.

In the lead-up to Wednesday's first leg, former and France goalkeeper Bernard Lama took aim at "annoying" Martinez. "He’s a bit annoying with his provocations," .

"I don’t like that. But otherwise, he’s still a good goalkeeper, nothing more. He’s not a great goalkeeper. He’s a good goalkeeper who has good spells, who had his spell at the 2022 World Cup. He’s not THE great goalkeeper."

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

It wasn't the only way in which he keeper was seen to have provoked the home support. He arrived in France wearing a hat bearing the Copa America, World Cup and Finalissima trophies, all of which he has won with the Albiceleste.

Whistles for Martinez were evident from the first time he touched the ball in Paris. "I'm not sure there's a bigger wind-up merchant in the game at the moment," co-commentator Ally McCoist said after learning of the hat gesture.

Martinez previously when travelling to Lille with Villa in the 2023-24 Conference League. Villa beat Lille on penalties on that occasion, also at the quarter-final stage of the competition.

Villa travelled to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday with the goal of giving themselves a chance to progress to the Champions League's final four. Fellow side Arsenal gave themselves a great chance on Tuesday, winning 3-0 at home to in their own first leg.

was among those in Paris to cheer on Villa. He anticipated a difficult evening for Unai Emery's side, who he supports, but backed them to claim a 2-1 win.

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our