Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Lille 1.
Aston VillaAston Villa2LilleLille1
Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn gave Aston Villa a narrow first-leg lead over Lille in their Europa Conference League quarter-final as Unai Emery marked his 1,000th game as a manager.
Watkins scored in the 13th minute, left unmarked in the box to head in from a McGinn corner.
Leon Bailey then played the ball to McGinn from a corner and he doubled the lead with a fierce strike into the bottom corner in the 56th minute.
With six minutes remaining, Lille got a goal back as Bafode Diakite flicked in a header from Angel Gomes' cross.
- Reaction to Thursday's Europa League and Europa Conference League ties
- How did you rate Aston Villa's performance? Have your say here
Trailing 2-0, Lille thought they had got back into the game in the 67th minute but Gabriel Gudmundsson's finish at the back post was ruled out for offside after a lengthy review.
Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was in inspired form, denying Gudmundsson from a tight angle and getting down low to save Jonathan David's effort on goal.
In stoppage time, Lille substitute Yusuf Yazici curled just wide of the top corner as Villa endured a nervy end to the game, having been in control for the majority of the contest.
The second leg takes place next Thursday (17:45 BST) as Lille look to overturn the one-goal deficit at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Watkins continues great form in important Villa win
The home side showed resilience to hold on in their 100th match in Uefa competition.
Watkins led from the front, creating three chances in three minutes as Villa grew into the game in the early stages.
His initial shot was blocked before his strike from the resulting corner was saved by Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
McGinn crossed into the box from a corner and Watkins broke the deadlock, scoring a header while in plenty of space in the box.
The England international has now scored 25 goals for Villa in all competitions this season as he continues to make a case for his inclusion in Gareth Southgate's squad for the Euros.
Watkins told TNT Sports: "Going into each game, I feel confident. I have a belief that I'm going to score and the team are going to play well.
"It's nice to hear your name being sung by the fans. I just try to repay them by scoring goals."
However, Emery will be concerned at the concession of a goal late on to give Lille hope, less than a week after they squandered a 2-0 lead in nine minutes at home to Brentford in the Premier League.
"We created chances, we conceded some chances. We have to try to be stronger in our structure because they were sometimes threatening us more than we wanted," the Villa boss told TNT Sports.
Villa have won all six of their home matches in the Conference League so far, scoring 14 goals in the process as they continue to chase their first European trophy since 1982.
Player of the match
McGinnJohn McGinn
with an average of 8.28
Aston Villa
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameMcGinnAverage rating
8.28
- Squad number11Player nameWatkinsAverage rating
7.75
- Squad number1Player nameE MartĂnezAverage rating
7.49
- Squad number31Player nameBaileyAverage rating
6.93
- Squad number4Player nameKonsaAverage rating
6.73
- Squad number8Player nameTielemansAverage rating
6.69
- Squad number14Player nameP TorresAverage rating
6.68
- Squad number12Player nameDigneAverage rating
6.61
- Squad number6Player nameDouglas LuizAverage rating
6.59
- Squad number27Player nameRogersAverage rating
6.57
- Squad number22Player nameZanioloAverage rating
6.50
- Squad number3Player nameDiego CarlosAverage rating
6.43
- Squad number15Player nameĂlex MorenoAverage rating
6.42
- Squad number19Player nameDiabyAverage rating
6.36
- Squad number24Player nameDurĂĄnAverage rating
6.08
- Squad number47Player nameIroegbunamAverage rating
6.00
Lille
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameCabellaAverage rating
5.36
- Squad number12Player nameYaziciAverage rating
5.30
- Squad number6Player nameBentalebAverage rating
5.24
- Squad number9Player nameDavidAverage rating
5.23
- Squad number5Player nameGudmundssonAverage rating
5.22
- Squad number4Player nameAlexsandro RibeiroAverage rating
5.20
- Squad number18Player nameDiakitéAverage rating
5.16
- Squad number8Player nameGomesAverage rating
5.12
- Squad number7Player nameHaraldssonAverage rating
5.01
- Squad number23Player nameZhegrovaAverage rating
4.92
- Squad number31Player nameIsmailyAverage rating
4.90
- Squad number15Player nameYoroAverage rating
4.86
- Squad number30Player nameChevalierAverage rating
4.83
- Squad number21Player nameAndréAverage rating
4.81
- Squad number22Player nameTiago SantosAverage rating
4.74
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1E MartĂnezBooked at 90mins
- 4Konsa
- 3Diego Carlos
- 14P Torres
- 12DigneSubstituted forMorenoat 74'minutes
- 31BaileySubstituted forDiabyat 74'minutes
- 8TielemansBooked at 77minsSubstituted forIroegbunamat 82'minutes
- 6Douglas LuizBooked at 49mins
- 27RogersSubstituted forZanioloat 66'minutes
- 7McGinn
- 11WatkinsSubstituted forDurĂĄnat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 15Moreno
- 18Gauci
- 19Diaby
- 22Zaniolo
- 24DurĂĄn
- 25Olsen
- 29Kesler-Hayden
- 47Iroegbunam
- 71Kellyman
Lille
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 30Chevalier
- 22Carvalho Santos
- 15Yoro
- 18DiakitéSubstituted forde Souza Ribeiroat 87'minutes
- 31Gonçalves dos Santos
- 21André
- 6Bentaleb
- 23ZhegrovaSubstituted forYaziciat 60'minutes
- 7HaraldssonSubstituted forCabellaat 78'minutes
- 5GudmundssonSubstituted forGomesat 78'minutes
- 9David
Substitutes
- 1Mannone
- 4de Souza Ribeiro
- 8Gomes
- 10Cabella
- 12Yazici
- 17Neves Abreu Cavaleiro
- 19Fontoura da Fonseca Morais
- 33Bouaddi
- 36Touré
- 38Ferrah
- 40Negrel
- Referee:
- Espen EskÄs
- Attendance:
- 37,220
Match Stats
Home TeamAston VillaAway TeamLille
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away7
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Lille 1.
Post update
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Leny Yoro.
Post update
Foul by RĂ©my Cabella (Lille).
Post update
John McGinn (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Booking
Emiliano MartĂnez (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Angel Gomes (Lille).
Post update
Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Offside, Lille. Jonathan David is caught offside.
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Ismaily (Lille) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa).
Post update
Attempt missed. Yusuf Yazici (Lille) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Benjamin André.
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Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Alexsandro Ribeiro.
Post update
Foul by RĂ©my Cabella (Lille).
Post update
Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Lille. Alexsandro Ribeiro replaces Bafodé Diakité.
Post update
Foul by RĂ©my Cabella (Lille).
Post update
Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Aston Villa 2, Lille 1. Bafodé Diakité (Lille) header from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Rémy Cabella with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Lille. Conceded by Tim Iroegbunam.
Comments
Join the conversation
For a club like villa, brilliant player and lucky to have him.
I think you can & will do it in the away game.
Best of luck, from a Gooner.
Shame on the BBC for their woeful coverage of this game, if this was Man U, Spurs or Arsenal playing an ECL quarter final they'd be all over it.
UTV
But
I would still be dead chuffed if Villa lifted this cup, it would be immense.
Think Emery is a top manager not given the best support at Arsenal ( tough to be the manager after AW)
So will definitely be rooting for Villa (except for. Sunday đ€Ź)
In saying that they got the result and given themselves a great chance.
Up the villa.