Villa faces Lille in Europa League clash

Aston Villa is set to compete against LOSC Lille in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie. This fixture marks a rematch of their 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final, where Villa emerged victorious after a penalty shootout.

Despite past successes against French opposition, Villa experienced a Champions League exit last season against Paris Saint-Germain. The upcoming match is scheduled for 5:45 PM UK time on Thursday, March 12th. It will be broadcast live on TNT Sport 1, with streaming available on Discovery+.

Both teams are dealing with significant injury concerns. Lille will be without Ousmane Touré, Ethan Mbappé, Hamza Igmane, and Osame Sahraoui. Aston Villa faces absences in Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, Andres Garcia, and Matty Cash.

Lille, currently sixth in Ligue 1, has shown consistent form, winning three of their last four matches. They secured their place in this round by defeating FK Crvena zvezda 2-0 away, overturning a first-leg deficit. In contrast, Aston Villa has struggled recently in the Premier League, securing only one win in their last six games, jeopardizing their Champions League qualification hopes.

However, Villa boasts a strong European record this season, having finished second in their group after winning seven of eight matches. Lille's manager, Bruno Genesio, expressed respect for Aston Villa's manager, Unai Emery, acknowledging his extensive European experience. Emery, in turn, anticipates a difficult two-legged tie, emphasizing the importance of focus and a strong structure against a top Premier League team.