Aston Villa successfully resist Lille’s comeback attempt to bring a slight advantage to France for the second leg.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – Aston Villa secured a hard-fought victory at Villa Park in their UEFA Europa Conference League first leg against Lille, giving them a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg in France next week.

The home side got off to a strong start with Ollie Watkins once again finding the back of the net with a powerful header. Captain John McGinn extended Villa’s lead with a superb curling shot from the edge of the box, both goals coming from set-pieces.

However, Lille proved to be a formidable opponent, launching numerous attacks that tested Villa’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Martinez made a series of impressive saves to keep his team in the lead. Lille also had a goal disallowed by VAR due to a very narrow offside decision.

In the closing stages of the match, Lille managed to find the back of the net through Bafode Diakite’s header from a corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1. This goal keeps the tie alive and sets up an exciting second leg in France.

The winner of this quarter-final tie will face either Olympiacos or Fenerbahce in the semi-finals. Olympiacos currently hold a 3-2 advantage after their home leg. The prospect of facing either of these strong teams adds an extra layer of anticipation to the next round for Aston Villa.