Aston Villa v Lille: Europa League last 16, second leg – live | Europa League
Key occasions
Unai Emery speaks to TNT Sports. “Good evening… respect the competition… we played a very safe match in the first leg… today will be very difficult… we must play serious… impose and dominate… but adapt to moments in the game… we must keep our structure tactically… I will need both [Tammy Abraham and Ollie Watkins] …they must be ready to fight to play with their skills.”
…and this is what occurred the last time these groups met. A uncommon outdated back-and-forth within the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 Conference League.
The first leg. A reminder of what occurred last week, when Ollie Watkins gave Villa a one-goal lead with a second-half header.
Unai Emery makes 4 adjustments to his Aston Villa aspect from the XI that began the 1-0 win in Lille last week. Tammy Abraham, Ian Maatsen, Victor Lindelöf and captain John McGinn are in; Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendía, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne drop to the bench.
Olivier Giroud, eleven of Arsenal and Chelsea, leads the road for Lille. Nabil Bentaleb, previously of Tottenham and Newcastle, begins in midfield.
The groups
Aston Villa: Martinez, Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Onana, Douglas Luiz, Sancho, Rogers, McGinn, Abraham.
Subs: Bizot, Wright, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Elliott, Buendia, Watkins, Digne, Garcia, Bailey.
Lille: Ozer, Meunier, Mbemba, Alexsandro Victor, Ngoy, Bouaddi, Bentaleb, Perraud, Mukau, Giroud, Correia.
Subs: Bodart, Lanssade, Fernandez, Arnar Haraldsson, Edjouma, Santos, Mandi, Verdonk, Diaoune, Baret, Boussadia.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy).
Preamble
Aston Villa ought to be good for this. They’ve solely confronted Lille as soon as earlier than in European competitors, and received by way of within the 2023-24 Conference League quarters. They’ve received every of their last six Europa League video games, a run that by definition consists of the primary leg of this tie. Lille have by no means received in England, shedding on their last seven visits. And Villa have Unai Emery on the wheel: Mr Europa League has received this competitors 4 occasions, with a runners-up medal thrown in besides. But it isn’t been a banner week for English groups on the continent, so let’s not get too far forward of ourselves. Bologna or Roma ready within the quarters, thoughts. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
