Call it being inexperienced in the Champions League.
There was confusion and even some embarrassment before kickoff in the second leg of the quarterfinal between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday when the anthem for the second-tier Europa League competition appeared to be played by mistake as players from both teams lined up.
Villa defender Ezri Konsa was seen putting his hand to his face and shaking his head after talking to teammate Youri Tielemans while the incorrect music was blaring around the stadium.
A minute or so later, the more famous Champions League anthem was finally played at Villa Park — by which time the players were almost ready for the kickoff. In the crowd was Prince William, the heir to the throne and a die-hard Villa fan.
This is Villa's first season in the Champions League. The team previously played in Europe's top competition in the 1982-83, as reigning champion when it was called the European Cup.
The pre-match error was followed by mistakes on the field as the hosts fell 2-0 behind to PSG by the 27th minute thanks to goals by full backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.
Aston Villa ended up making a comeback to win 3-2, but PSG still advanced 5-4 on aggregate to reach the semifinals.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
