Aston Villa will play at Villa Park this Thursday night, holding a narrow one-goal lead against French team Lille as they approach a European quarter-final.
The Villans achieved a 1–0 win in France last week with a decisive header from Ollie Watkins in the second half. This victory allowed manager Unai Emery to become the fastest manager in Villa’s history to reach 100 wins, achieving it in just 181 matches.
Although Villa has struggled in the Premier League recently, suffering three consecutive losses including a 3–1 defeat against Manchester United, their performance in the Europa League has been impressive. They have won their last six matches, a streak that is only matched by one other English team in the competition’s history.
Lille comes to the West Midlands looking to break their poor record in England and secure their first-ever Europa League quarter-final. The team has never won in nine visits to England and has lost their last seven matches here.
Despite this, Lille showed strength with a 2–1 win against Rennes, keeping their hopes for a top-four finish in Ligue 1 alive. They have demonstrated their ability to overcome deficits, having eliminated Red Star Belgrade in the playoffs, and will count on experienced striker Olivier Giroud to deliver this time.
Aston Villa vs Lille – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 19 March 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Referee: Davide Massa
- VAR: Daniele Chiffi
- Last Meeting: Lille 0–1 Aston Villa (12 March 2026, UEL)
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery will be without injured midfielders Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans. Jadon Sancho is back after being ineligible for the match against Manchester United. Late fitness checks are needed for Matty Cash and Emi Buendía, while Ross Barkley and Alysson cannot play in Europe.
Lille
Lille faces an injury issue with Ethan Mbappé, Hamza Igamane, and Osame Sahraoui among five players out. Olivier Giroud, at 39, will lead the attack, having scored nine goals this season. Key players Tiago Santos and Benjamin André are likely to return after being rested recently.
Form
Aston Villa
Aston Villa has been dominant in Europe with six straight Europa League wins but needs to turn around their recent domestic form after three consecutive Premier League losses. Despite struggles at home, they have won all four European games this season, with a total score of 8–3.
Lille
Lille arrives in Birmingham with renewed confidence after beating Rennes 2-1. They are now just three points away from the Ligue 1 top four. Despite facing six defeats in this year’s Europa League, they have remained competitive away, securing two wins out of five matches in the tournament.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins
Lille Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Ozer; Santos, Mbemba, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre; Mukasu, Haraldsson, Perrin; Giroud
How to Watch Aston Villa vs Lille?
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, starting coverage before the 20:00 kick-off. It’s also available through the discovery+ app.
Read more- How seven Premier League teams could qualify for next season’s Champions League
Twitter | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Add Footem.in As your Preferred Source on Google
Follow the latest on Footem WhatsApp Channel
