Ollie Watkins header gives Aston Villa advantage over Lille in Europa League tie | OneFootball

Ollie Watkins ended his goal drought as Aston Villa battled to a 1-0 away win at Lille in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.

After a low-key opening, it was Lille who finished the first half strongly.

Former Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud glanced a header wide before Romain Perraud’s dipping shot was palmed away by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez.

Villa broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Watkins’ header after a long ball had been flicked on into the penalty area, marking the England striker’s first goal since the end of January.

Amadou Onana’s curling shot then clipped the angle of post and crossbar before Watkins went down under a challenge from Lille keeper Berke Ozer, but the penalty appeals were waved away.

Villa, who finished second behind Lyon in the league phase with seven wins, saw out the closing stages to give themselves every chance of progress on to the quarter-finals.

Neither side had been able to make any telling impact in the final third during the opening exchanges at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.

Unai Emery’s men, who had lost three of their last four domestic games, finally created an opening in the 20th minute.

Jadon Sancho played Morgan Rogers into the right side of the penalty area, but his hopeful ball in drifted across the face of goal and wide of the far post.

Onana then got away down the left and sent over a low pass which was just cut out by Lille defender Aissa Mandi as Watkins looked to tap the ball home.

Lille, who came through a play-off against Crvena Zvezda to reach the last 16, then had a good spell as Ngal’Ayel Mukau fired just wide but was flagged offside, and Giroud then glanced a header across the face of goal from a cross to the near post by Tiago Santos.

Perraud’s dipping shot was pushed out by Villa keeper Martinez before Rogers dragged an angled effort wide from the edge of the box just ahead of the half-time whistle.

Giroud saw his looping header comfortably caught by Martinez before Villa made the breakthrough just after the hour.

Ezri Konsa sent a high ball forward which was nodded on by Emiliano Buendia at the edge of the penalty area.

Watkins kept his composure to send a header up over Lille keeper Ozer for a first goal in eight matches.

Villa remained on the offensive and almost doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Onana’s curling shot from the edge of the penalty area clipped the angle.

Watkins was then sent racing clear following a counter attack and hurdled Ozer as the keeper came out to close him down before taking a tumble, but the referee rejected Villa calls for a penalty.

Villa captain John McGinn – back on the bench after being out since the middle of January because of a knee injury – replaced Douglas Luiz for the closing stages, with Buendia sending an acrobatic late effort wide from Rogers’ deep cross.