Ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League quarter-final clash, Lille striker Jonathan David has sent a warning to the Birmingham outfit in preparation for the second leg.
Villa face their most important game of the season on Thursday night. Unai Emery’s side will travel to France to face Lille with a semi-final spot in the Europa Conference League up for grabs.
The Birmingham outfit go into the second leg with a slender 2-1 advantage after overcoming the side at Villa Park last week. However, Villa were far from convincing in the match, with Lille having plenty of chances throughout the match.
Now, Emery’s side will be looking to finish the job as they face the in-form French side at their home stadium. This is set to be one of their most difficult matches to date with Canadian striker David issuing a stark warning to the travelling team.
Read more: Aston Villa’s route to the Europa Conference League final.
Lille ‘fresh and ready’ for Aston Villa challenge
Lille will come into the match against Villa in fine form. The French side sit fourth in Ligue 1, just four points away from second spot after overseeing a five-match unbeaten run in the division.
David’s side have also had a considerable amount of rest compared to Villa. Lille did not play on the weekend making the Europa Conference League first-leg match the last game they played. In comparison, Emery’s side slogged out an incredible 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.
As a result, last week, Villa called for the Premier League to change the rules relating to the European fixtures.
Now, before Thursday’s showdown, top scorer David has sent a warning to Villa, insisting that they are ‘ready’ for the showdown.
“We had a week to prepare for this match, it’s a good thing,” David said in the pre-match conference. “We are ready physically, mentally, we are fresh. I watched Arsenal-Aston Villa, this match proves that We must not underestimate them. It will be a challenge tomorrow.”
He continued: “There is a good atmosphere, we know that it is a special, important match. We prepare for it like all matches, with calm and ambition.”
Aston Villa must be at their best to reach the Europa Conference League semi-finals
Beating Lille will be no easy feat. The French side was already in form. Now, after a week’s rest, seeing out their lead will be even harder.
Villa must respect their opposition and prevent an early goal which could see the fans grow in confidence.
Lille are arguably the toughest opponents left in the competition meaning a victory will go a long way in potentially securing the trophy.
Villa cannot afford any complacency as any chance Lille get, their opponents will take. A professional, mistake-free performance will be needed. If they manage that, they will surely progress to the semi-finals.
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