Current location:sport >>
Aston Villa 2
sport6People have gathered around
IntroductionAston Villa will head to France next week with a slender advantage and 90 minutes away from a first ...
Aston Villa will head to France next week with a slender advantage and 90 minutes away from a first major European semi-final since 1982.
Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn in either half gave Villa a two-goal lead and they had keeper Emiliano Martinez to thank for an array of crucial saves before Lille pulled one back late on through Bafodo Diakite.
On a night where defeats for Liverpool and West Ham in the Europa League hampered the Premier League’s bid for five Champions League spots - which may prove crucial for Villa - Unai Emery’s side will know they will have their work cut out for the return leg with Paulo Fonseca’s team guilty of not taking their chance.
‘The feeling I have is frustration because we created the opportunities to get a better result,’ said Fonseca, who was left bemoaning VAR.
‘There was a foul for both of their goals. With VAR, it’s incredible they miss these things,’ insisted the Lille boss.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the season
Watkins scored in the 13th minute, left unmarked in the box to head in from a McGinn corner.
John McGinn doubled the lead with a fine strike into the bottom corner in the 56th minute
Emery insisted that he wasn’t aware.
‘It was a difficult match,’ he said. ‘2-0 is better than 2-1 but they’re a very good team as well and we have to accept it.’
Ahead of his 1000th game in charge, the Spaniard asked the fans to ‘dream together as it was 42 years ago,’ stressing that it was Villa’s first major European quarter-final since 1998.
Emery knows more than most about continental success with four Europa League titles to his name and his team raced out of the blocks as Watkins headed in from McGinn’s corner for his 25th goal of the season with what was the third of three chances in three minutes.
The goal even had the royal seal of approval as the cameras panned to a jubilant Prince William and Prince George in the stands but the visitors should have gone into the break level with Martinez denying Edon Zhergova, Diakite and Jonathan David, who all had one-on-one chances.
Villa began the second half brighter and made it count, albeit with a slice of luck.
Lille pulled a goal back as Bafode Diakite flicked in a header from Angel Gomes' cross
Lille defender Gabriel Gudmundsson had an effort ruled out for offside in the second-half
Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced several saves to deny the French side
MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS
Aston Villa (4-4-1-1): Martinez 9; Konsa 6, Carlos 6, Torres 6, Digne 6 (Moreno 74, 5); Bailey 7 (Diaby 74, 5), Tielemans 7 (Iroegbunam 82), Luiz 7, Rogers 6 (Zaniolo 66, 5); McGinn 8; Watkins 8 (Duran 82).
Subs unused: Gauci, Olsen, Kesler-Hayden, Kellyman.
Goals: Watkins 13, McGinn 56
Bookings: Luiz, Tielemans
Manager: Unai Emery 7
Lille (4-2-3-1): Chevalier 7; Santos 6, Yoro 6, Diakite 7 (Alexsandro 87), Ismaily 6; Andre 7, Bentaleb 6; Zhegrova 6 (Yazici 60, 5), Haraldsson 7 (Cabella 78, 6), Gudmundsson 6 (Gomes 78, 5). David 6.
Subs unused: Mannone, Negrel, Cavaleiro, Morais, Bouaddi, Toure, Ferrah.
Goals: Diakite 84
Manager: Paulo Fonseca 6
Referee: Espen Eskas 6
AdvertisementDouglas Luiz played a short corner to Leon Bailey, who slipped as he attempted to cross but McGinn was there on the edge of the box to guide the ball perfectly into the bottom corner.
Lille thought they had pulled one back when Gabriel Gudmundsson volleyed in but VAR ruled it out for offside and there was still time for two more Martinez saves before he was finally beaten by Diakite’s header from a Lille corner.
It was the least the visitors deserved for their efforts and left the tie finely poised.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Spectrum news portal”。http://ecuador.adventistmissionjapan.org/content-16a399981.html
Related articles
Lynn Williams breaks NWSL goal
sportLynn Williams scored her 79th league goal, becoming the National Women’s Soccer League all-time scor ...
【sport】
Read moreChinese vice premier calls on central SOEs to contribute more to Tibet's development
sport(Xinhua) 13:51, September 08, 2023LHASA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing call ...
【sport】
Read moreMiro Heiskanan, Jason Robertson lead Stars past Kraken 3
sportDALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Miro Heiskanen had a goal and two assists, and Jason Robertson had a goal a ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
- Xi sends congratulatory letter to General Assembly of Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia
- Feature: Rafah drowning in tears as Palestinians bid farewell to loved ones for survival
- Overseas experts hail Xi's notion of building modern Chinese civilization
- Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
- Josh Bell homers, Max Meyer fans career
Latest articles
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
Ecuador embroiled in diplomatic backlash after police break into Mexican embassy
Senior CPC official stresses study of Xi's works
Mainland spokesperson rebukes DPP for selling out Taiwan people
Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
Search continues in Maine as officer is charged with lying about taking missing person to hospital
LINKS
- Bradley Cooper the doting dad holds hands with daughter Lea De Seine, seven
- Yankees ace Gerrit Cole throws 15 fastballs in first bullpen session since injuring elbow
- Kansas has a new border security mission and tougher penalties for killing police dogs
- Former Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, 31, opens up about filming her first sex scene
- NYPD body cameras show mother pleading “Don’t shoot!” before officers kill her 19
- Bradley Cooper the doting dad holds hands with daughter Lea De Seine, seven
- Fans react with horror to Britney Spears' meltdown amid new fears for her safety
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to stay alive in IPL
- Leprosy spread between people and red SQUIRRELS in medieval England, study reveals
- Adin Hill flashes old playoff form as Golden Knights beat Stars 2