Villa prevailed 2-1 in the first leg at Villa Park last week thanks to Ollie Watkins' 13th-minute opener and John McGinn's effort ten minutes into the second-half.
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Aston Villa would be looking to hold on to the slender lead and enter the semifinals of Europa Conference League when they travel to Stade Pierre-Mauroy to take on Lille in the second leg of their last eight tie on Thursday. Villa prevailed 2-1 in the first leg at Villa Park last week thanks to Ollie Watkins’ 13th-minute opener and John McGinn’s effort ten minutes into the second-half. Meanwhile, the Ligue 1 outfit scored an important away-goal through Bafode Diakite’s effort four minutes from time. The winner of the tie will face either Fenerbahce or Olympiacos next month.
Committed to the task. 👊
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 17, 2024
Lille went into the away leg in London on the back of a seven game unbeaten run across all competitions, recording four wins in the process, but were hard done by Villa, despite having close to 60% of ball possession. Moreover, the result also ended their ten-game unbeaten run in the Conference League, including the qualifiers. Nevertheless, LOSC are 15-games unbeaten at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, that includes winning four of their five Conference League home-fixtures. Meanwhile, when it comes to the Ligue 1 standings, Paulo Fonseca’s side are currently sitting at the fourth position, having collected 49 points from 28 games, just two adrift of third-laced Monaco, who are occupying the final Champions League spot.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, are heading into the match on the back of a thrilling 2-0 Premier League win over title-challengers Arsenal on Sunday. The Lions secured all three points at Emirates Stadium thanks to efforts from Leon Bailey and Watkins in the final ten minutes. The result extended their points tally to 63 from 32 league games, just three clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand and eight adrift of the top three. Meanwhile, Emery’s side are now unbeaten in their last eight Conference League games, recording six wins in the process. Should they avoid a defeat on Thursday, Villa will seal a spot in the Conference League semifinals.
Lille probable starting lineup: Chevalier, Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily, Andre, Bentaleb, Zhegrova, Cabella, Gudmundsson, David,
Aston Villa probable starting lineup: Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digna, Luiz, Tielemans, Bailey, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins
Lille
| Opponents | Score |
| Aston Villa | 2-1 (L) |
| Marseille | 3-1 (W) |
| Lens | 2-1 (W) |
| Brest | 1-1 (D) |
| Sturm Graz | 1-1 (D) |
Aston Villa
| Opponents | Score |
| Arsenal | 0-2 (W) |
| Lille | 2-1 (W) |
| Brentford | 3-3 (D) |
| Manchester City | 4-1 (L) |
| Wolves | 2-0 (W) |
| Last 3 match-results | Score |
| Aston Villa beat Lille | 2-1 |
| Lille beat Aston Villa | 0-2 |
| Lille draw Aston Villa | 1-1 |
The Europa Conference League fixture between Lille and Aston Villa will take place at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday at 10:15 pm IST.
| Lille vs Aston Villa | Key Details |
| Date | April 18 |
| Venue | Stade Pierre-Mauroy |
| Kickoff time in France | 6:45 pm |
| Kickoff time in UK | 5:45 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 10:15 pm |
Football fans in France can watch the match on RMC Sport network. Meanwhile, those in UK can catch the live action via discovery + network and TVT Sport network.
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