Aston Villa have been drawn against Lille in the last 16 of the Europa League.
A reward for finishing second in the league phase table, Villa have home advantage in the second leg on March 19. They were the top seeds along with Lyon, meaning they will travel to France the week before and for a repeat of the Conference League tie between the sides in the 2023-24 campaign.
Villa progressed into the semi-finals on that occasion on penalties, despite a hostile match which saw Emiliano Martinez booked twice without being sent off, due to receiving a second yellow in the penalty shootout.
The first leg in Lille will kick-off at 6.45pm local time (5.45pm BST) with the return leg at Villa Park starting at 8pm BST.
The winners of the tie will travel to Italy to face either Bologna or Roma, who are spearheaded by former Villa forward Donyell Malen, in the quarter-finals.
Villa are widely considered among the favourites to win the Europa League, with manager Unai Emery aiming for a fifth title in the competition.
Lille finished in 18th spot in the league phase, having to overcome FK Crvena Zvezda in the last 32. In Ligue One, Lille are currently fifth, three points from third-placed Marseille.
Europa League last-16 draw
- Ferencvaros vs Braga
- Panathinaikos vs Real Betis
- Genk vs Freiberg
- Celta Vigo vs Lyon
- Stuttgart vs Porto
- Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland
- Bologna vs Roma
- Lille vs Aston Villa
Games to be played March 12 and March 19.
‘A trophy in Istanbul must be the priority’
Analysis
This is Villa’s third successive year in Europe, having played in each of UEFA’s European competitions.
They have built sufficient experience of playing knockout football in intense atmospheres and, just as importantly, acknowledge they are carrying additional impetus to right the wrongs of previous years, including a semi-final defeat in the Conference League against Olympiacos and a valiant, although losing effort against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season.
Rubber-stamping Emery’s tenure with a trophy in Istanbul in the Europa League final must be a priority. Anything less would come with a sense of regret, given everything he has achieved and the high esteem he is held in within the fanbase.
A trophy would crown an extraordinary transformation at Villa and offer an alternative route into next season’s Champions League, should they miss out narrowly via the Premier League. Considering how reliant Villa are on Champions League riches to drive revenue — demonstrated by the latest UEFA report — Europa League triumph may help shape the club’s long-term future.
As previously reported by The Athletic, staff who work with Emery all acknowledge Villa’s manager is enthralled, almost entranced, by playing in Europe.
This is his 18th consecutive year in European competitions. Villa’s 1-0 win in Turkey last month against Fenerbahce was his 100th match in the Europa League, 32 more than the manager with the next highest number of games in the competition, Jorge Jesus. Fundamentally, it is a key reason why the Spaniard moves or stays at a club, relishing the prestige and challenge of playing on the continent.
Despite injuries, Villa believe they have learned from the time they ran out of steam against Olympiacos with Emery’s controlled, methodical approach conducive to knockout football, where the margins can be so fine. Emery is the most successful manager in the competition’s history, so undoubtedly knows what it will be take to navigate past Lille.