Aston Villa Take Narrow Advantage to France After Defeating Lille 2-1 in Europa Conference League Quarterfinal First Leg
Watkins and McGinn Find the Net for Villa
Villa Edge Closer to Semifinals
Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lille in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinal tie on Thursday. Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn gave the visitors a narrow advantage heading into the second leg in France next week.
Watkins opened the scoring for Villa in the 28th minute, heading home from close range after a cross from Lucas Digne. The hosts equalized just before the break when Jonathan David converted a penalty after Ashley Young was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area.
However, Villa restored their lead in the 58th minute when McGinn pounced on a loose ball in the Lille penalty area and fired into the net. The visitors held on for the win despite some late pressure from Lille, who will need to score at least twice in the second leg to progress to the semifinals.
The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at the Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre Mauroy, and the atmosphere was electric. Villa's fans were in fine voice throughout the match, and they celebrated their team's victory with gusto at the final whistle.
Aston Villa will now travel to Lille for the second leg on April 25th. They will be confident of progressing to the semifinals if they can maintain their narrow lead and avoid defeat in France.
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