Unai Emery’s Aston Villa travels to Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday to face LOSC Lille in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.
Aston Villa aims to shift focus from a tough domestic situation, following a 4–1 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League. In contrast, they have excelled in Europe, boasting a five-match winning streak.
This streak marks Villa’s best performance in major European competitions, and a win tonight would tie Arsenal‘s record of six consecutive Europa League victories. Despite finishing second in the League Phase, tied on points with Lyon, Villa faces a challenge as they have never won a European away game in France in six tries.
Lille enters this stage after a tense knockout playoff against Crvena Zvezda. Bruno Génésio’s squad has been defensively strong, going seven matches unbeaten across competitions.
However, “Les Dogues” have had trouble scoring, finding the net more than once in only one of their last 15 matches. They will rely on Olivier Giroud, who has a strong track record against Villa, scoring 10 goals in his last eight games against them while at Arsenal and Chelsea.
Lille vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
- Venue: Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille
- Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez
- VAR: César Soto Grado
- Last Meeting: Lille 2–1 Aston Villa (18 April 2024, Conference League)
Team News
Lille
Lille will miss several players due to injuries, including Marc-Aurele Caillard (elbow), Osame Sahraoui (groin), and Ethan Mbappé (thigh). Romain Perraud and Nabil Bentaleb are expected to start. Some key players, like Berke Özer and Aïssa Mandi, are one yellow card away from suspension, yet they are likely to play.
Aston Villa
Emery’s team will not have Youri Tielemans (ankle), Boubacar Kamara (knee), or Andrés García (thigh) available. Matty Cash and Harvey Elliott will undergo late fitness checks, while John McGinn’s return seems premature. Jadon Sancho aims for a starting spot on the right flank, and Ollie Watkins is expected to lead the attack over Tammy Abraham.
Form
Lille
Lille’s matches have largely been low-scoring, with fewer than three goals in their last eight games. Although unbeaten in seven matches, their home performance has been inconsistent, winning just two of their last eight games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Moreover, Lille has only won the first leg in one of their last seven major European knockout ties.
Aston Villa
Emery confirmed that captain John McGinn has traveled with the team and may start after a long injury absence. However, Matty Cash did not make the trip due to injury against Chelsea. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans are also out, while Harvey Elliott’s availability is uncertain.
Predicted Lineups
Lille Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ozer; Santos, Ngoy, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre, Bouaddi; Haraldsson, Giroud, Correia
Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; Sancho, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
How to Watch Lille vs Aston Villa?
The match will be live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, starting at 17:00 GMT.
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