Aston Villa hold a slim lead as they take on Lille in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final this evening, live on talkSPORT 2.
Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 at Villa Park in the first leg with goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn preceding Bafode Diakite’s strike.
Villa now only need to defend their lead or extend it to reach the last four of UEFA’s third division European competition.
And they are in perfect shape to do it, coming into this crucial match on the back of an incredible 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday.
Lille vs Aston Villa: Marvelous Watkins
Watkins is putting up the best numbers of his career while playing for Villa this season.
He has scored 19 times in the Premier League and sits behind Cole Palmer and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
His goals are not exclusive to domestic competition, however, with this form translating onto the European stage.
The 28-year-old has scored in four of his last five Conference League appearances, with Phil Foden and Harry Kane the only Englishmen to score more on the continent.
Watkins’ goals have kept Villa unbeaten in their last eight games in the competition and they are now on the brink of a club record.
Avoiding defeat against Lille would amount to their longest ever unbeaten run in Europe, matching their historic title campaign in 1982.
- Lille have never progressed since their four major home-and-away matches in Europe losing in the first leg, the latest example being the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16 against Chelsea (0-2 at away, 1-2 at home).
- Lille and Aston Villa have met three times in European competitions, with each team winning once (D1).
Lille vs Aston Villa: teams
Lille: Chevalier, Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily, Andre, Bentaleb, Yazici, Gudmundsson, Haraldsson, David
Substitutes: Mannone, Ribeiro, Gomes, Cabella, Ounas, Cavaleiro, Morais, Bouaddi, Touré, Ferrah, Negrel
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Zaniolo, McGinn, Luiz, Tielemans, Diaby, Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Gauci, Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Duran, Rogers, Kesler-Hayden, Bailey, Munroe, Kellyman, Iroegbunam
- Aston Villa have failed to win any of their three away matches against French teams in European competition (D2 L1), this being their first such match since the 1-1 draw at Lille in 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
- Lille have lost their last two home matches against English teams in all competitions, both matches against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League (2019 and 2022). Their only previous home match against Aston Villa was a 1–1 draw in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Lille vs Aston Villa: What was said?
Emery knows the threat of being the away team in the second leg but wishes Villa had worked hard to find a way to win in France.
Speaking after the first leg, he said: “The result was very close and it was a close game, very difficult.
“We prepared for the match by understanding and respecting them, and we won. We must be more or less happy and respect them even more than we were.
“They will be strong in their stadium and now we have to try to play 90 minutes thinking about how we can analyze the match in depth and play it better.
“We have to try and get a good result there.”
- John McGinn contributed to both Aston Villa goals in the first leg against Lille (1 goal, 1 assist). He has scored the most goals of any Aston Villa player in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (6-3 goals, 3 assists).
- Lille’s Jonathan David has scored 2.5 goals fewer than expected in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (3 goals, 5.5 xG), the highest negative difference of any player in the competition. He is also the player who has missed the most big chances in the Conference League this season (7/10).
Lille vs Aston Villa: talkSPORT coverage
This quarter-final second leg of the Europa Conference League will be played on Thursday April 18.
Kick-off at Stade Pierre-Mauroy is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
talkSPORT 2 will cover the match live from France.
Comments will come from Alex Crook and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.
Aston Villa hold a slim lead as they take on Lille in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final this evening, live on talkSPORT 2.
Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 at Villa Park in the first leg with goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn preceding Bafode Diakite’s strike.
Villa now only need to defend their lead or extend it to reach the last four of UEFA’s third division European competition.
And they are in perfect shape to do it, coming into this crucial match on the back of an incredible 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday.
Lille vs Aston Villa: Marvelous Watkins
Watkins is putting up the best numbers of his career while playing for Villa this season.
He has scored 19 times in the Premier League and sits behind Cole Palmer and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
His goals are not exclusive to domestic competition, however, with this form translating onto the European stage.
The 28-year-old has scored in four of his last five Conference League appearances, with Phil Foden and Harry Kane the only Englishmen to score more on the continent.
Watkins’ goals have kept Villa unbeaten in their last eight games in the competition and they are now on the brink of a club record.
Avoiding defeat against Lille would amount to their longest ever unbeaten run in Europe, matching their historic title campaign in 1982.
- Lille have never progressed since their four major home-and-away matches in Europe losing in the first leg, the latest example being the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16 against Chelsea (0-2 at away, 1-2 at home).
- Lille and Aston Villa have met three times in European competitions, with each team winning once (D1).
Lille vs Aston Villa: teams
Lille: Chevalier, Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily, Andre, Bentaleb, Yazici, Gudmundsson, Haraldsson, David
Substitutes: Mannone, Ribeiro, Gomes, Cabella, Ounas, Cavaleiro, Morais, Bouaddi, Touré, Ferrah, Negrel
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Zaniolo, McGinn, Luiz, Tielemans, Diaby, Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Gauci, Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Duran, Rogers, Kesler-Hayden, Bailey, Munroe, Kellyman, Iroegbunam
- Aston Villa have failed to win any of their three away matches against French teams in European competition (D2 L1), this being their first such match since the 1-1 draw at Lille in 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
- Lille have lost their last two home matches against English teams in all competitions, both matches against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League (2019 and 2022). Their only previous home match against Aston Villa was a 1–1 draw in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Lille vs Aston Villa: What was said?
Emery knows the threat of being the away team in the second leg but wishes Villa had worked hard to find a way to win in France.
Speaking after the first leg, he said: “The result was very close and it was a close game, very difficult.
“We prepared for the match by understanding and respecting them, and we won. We must be more or less happy and respect them even more than we were.
“They will be strong in their stadium and now we have to try to play 90 minutes thinking about how we can analyze the match in depth and play it better.
“We have to try and get a good result there.”
- John McGinn contributed to both Aston Villa goals in the first leg against Lille (1 goal, 1 assist). He has scored the most goals of any Aston Villa player in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (6-3 goals, 3 assists).
- Lille’s Jonathan David has scored 2.5 goals fewer than expected in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (3 goals, 5.5 xG), the highest negative difference of any player in the competition. He is also the player who has missed the most big chances in the Conference League this season (7/10).
Lille vs Aston Villa: talkSPORT coverage
This quarter-final second leg of the Europa Conference League will be played on Thursday April 18.
Kick-off at Stade Pierre-Mauroy is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
talkSPORT 2 will cover the match live from France.
Comments will come from Alex Crook and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.