Aston Villa vs Lille – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Aston Villa return to Villa Park this Thursday night, just 90 minutes away from a European quarter-final, holding a slender one-goal advantage over French side Lille.

The Villans secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory in France last week thanks to a clinical second-half header from Ollie Watkins. This result marked a milestone for manager Unai Emery, who became the quickest manager in Villa history to reach 100 wins, doing so in just 181 games.

While Villa have struggled domestically of late—dropping their third consecutive Premier League game with a 3–1 loss at Manchester United—their European record is nearly perfect. Emery’s side has won each of their last six Europa League games, a streak surpassed by only one other English team in the competition’s history.

Lille travel to the West Midlands, aiming to snap a dismal historical record on English soil and reach their first-ever Europa League quarter-final. The Ligue 1 outfit has never won a match in England across nine previous visits, losing their last seven in a row.

However, Bruno Genesio’s men showed resilience over the weekend, securing a 2–1 away win at Rennes to keep their domestic top-four hopes alive. Lille have already proven they can overturn aggregate deficits this season, having come from behind to eliminate Red Star Belgrade in the playoffs, and they will look to veteran striker Olivier Giroud to provide the clinical edge missing in the first leg.

Aston Villa vs Lille – Match preview and team news

Team News

Aston Villa

Unai Emery is still without the injured midfield duo of Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans. Jadon Sancho is available for selection after being ineligible for the weekend trip to Old Trafford. The club is awaiting late fitness updates on Matty Cash and Emi Buendía, while Ross Barkley and Alysson are ineligible for European competition.

Lille

The visitors are facing a minor injury crisis with Ethan Mbappé, Hamza Igamane, and Osame Sahraoui among the five players definitely ruled out. Notably, Olivier Giroud will lead the line at 39 years old, having already scored nine goals this season. Key figures like Tiago Santos and Benjamin André are expected to return to the starting XI after being rotated at the weekend.

Form

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have been flawless on the continental stage with six consecutive Europa League victories, though they arrive seeking to arrest a domestic slide following three straight Premier League defeats. Despite their recent struggles at Villa Park, where they have won only one of their last five home matches in all competitions, they have been dominant at home in Europe, winning all four fixtures this term by an aggregate score of 8–3.

Lille

Lille arrive in Birmingham in buoyed spirits after a 2-1 victory over Rennes, ending a patchy run and moving within three points of the Ligue 1 top four. While they have suffered six defeats in the Europa League this season—their most in any single European campaign—they have remained a threat on the road, winning two of their five away fixtures in the competition so far.

Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins

Lille Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Ozer; Santos, Mbemba, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre; Mukasu, Haraldsson, Perrin; Giroud

How to Watch Aston Villa vs Lille?

The match will be televised live in the UK on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins ahead of the 20:00 kick-off and is also available via the discovery+ app.

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