In the here and now the biggest collection of stars to arrive in Aston since Inter in 1990 turn up and Villa Park matches the occasion. The fireworks, the tifo, the noise and the Champions League anthem, eventually. Everything was in place for a memorable night but nobody had any idea of just how memorable it would be. PSG started off looking every bit what they are, probably the best team in the world at the moment. Their pace and precision made us look pedestrian and two down with an hour to go looked like it was going to be the sort of night best forgotten. And then…

This is Villa Park. We get criticised, even ridiculed, by lesser beings but this isn’t so much Theatre of Dreams as Cathedral of the Supernatural. There are times when the fates combine to make our ground a place where mystical things occur and this was another of them. Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa got the goals; Ramsay, Waring and Saunders could have been credited with assists. Them and the crowd, who were getting more frenzied by the minute. Sadly it wasn’t enough but what a night.

And when the dust’s settled the world could see just what we’ve got here. If you have to lose, this was the way to do it. In contrast, some of those lesser mortals mentioned earlier are boasting about glorification of their gang of little boy soldiers by some PSG fans. Class is like many things – you’ve either got it or you can’t even spell it.

The Spurs match at home has been moved to the day after the cup final, which means it’ll have to be moved again.

Villa have registered a few more logos, which will probably be an attempt to break the American market while at the same time extort a few more quid from the rest of us.

Another criteria opens up for semi-final tickets and they’re sold out within minutes. Damian Vidagany, our Director of Football Operations, issues a rallying cry via the Fans Advisory Board, which loosely translated reads as “Come on you Lions” (one for you older readers).

Conor Hourihane gets the Barnsley job permanently and in true Villa style of his era celebrates by going 3-1 up midway through the second half and losing 4-3.

There was always the worry that Newcastle would be the worst possible opponents in the circumstances, particularly after they won at half-pace in midweek but within seconds we were goal up thanks to Ollie Watkins and never looked in any danger. They equalised when our defence fell asleep for half a second and it was level at half-time but after the break we moved through the gears.