Aston Villa progressed into the semi-final of the Europa Conference League in dramatic fashion after beating Lille on penalties, however, it was far from easy for Unai Emery’s side.
If you could imagine every twist and turn that a football match could possibly offer, that is close to what Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League quarter-final second-leg against Lille offered up.
Unai Emery’s side eventually booked their spot in the final four of the competition on penalties, with even the shootout bringing drama as Emi Martinez stole the show for both his goalkeeping exploits and in relishing his villainous status in Lille.
For Villa’s efforts, the hosts will feel hard done by to some extent, as the Premier League side showed little threat throughout the 90 minutes, with Matty Cash’s equaliser coming late from a goalkeeping error.
What Aston Villa did for the first time in over two years against LOSC Lille
It was a difficult game for Emery’s side, which was notable throughout the contest but particularly in the first half.
The opening 45 minutes saw Villa do something that they haven’t done in over two years, as the visitors failed to register a single shot on goal before the interval.
A lot of credit must go to Lille, who made it incredibly difficult for Emery’s side to remain in possession, let alone build play towards the final third, as highlighted by the statistic.
Read our Aston Villa player ratings vs Lille here
While the hosts greatly tested the Premier League outfit, it was glaringly obvious which side had the busier schedule, as Villa were to blame for their own shortcomings as they looked to be a completely different side to the one that beat Arsenal on Sunday.
Aston Villa battled hard against Lille to reach the semi-final
It was a far from glamorous display from Emery’s side, who failed to present even glimpses of the quality that was on show against Arsenal last week, but that won’t phase the visitors.
Against the odds, Villa dug deep and found a way to win the tie at a ground that presented them with so many challenges to overcome, most of which were caused simply by the presence of Martinez.
The hurdles don’t stop for Emery’s squad, who are back in action on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League, with Bournemouth up next in another must-win game if Villa are to remain in control of their Champions League destiny.
Tonight at least, the squad should celebrate reaching the Europa Conference League semi-final, putting the first-half performance aside, after a valiant effort to come away with a win in Lille.
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