Aston Villa Take Narrow Lead to Lille
McGinn's Goal Gives Villa Advantage in Europa Conference League
By Marissa Thomas
11 April 2024
Aston Villa will take a narrow 2-1 lead back to Lille after a hard-fought first leg in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring for Villa in the 15th minute, but Lille equalized just before half-time through Mohamed Bayo.
Villa captain John McGinn restored the lead for the visitors in the second half, giving them a priceless away goal.
The victory was Villa's first in Europe since 2010 and gives them a slight advantage heading into the second leg in France next week.
Villa manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team's performance, saying: "We played well and created a lot of chances. We deserved to win and we're in a good position now for the second leg."
Lille manager Paulo Fonseca admitted that his team had been second best on the night, saying: "We didn't play our best football today, but we're still in the tie. We have to believe that we can turn it around in the second leg."
The second leg of the tie will be played at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on Thursday, April 18th.
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