What’s the story
Aston Villa secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Lille in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash.
The decisive moment came when Ollie Watkins scored with a brilliant looping header from Emi Buendia’s flick-on in the 61st minute.
The win puts Unai Emery’s side in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals where they could face either Bologna or Roma.
Villa could have had a bigger lead
Despite the narrow win, Villa could have had a bigger lead. Amadou Onana hit the bar from distance soon after Watkins’s goal.
Watkins also wasted a one-on-one chance while Buendia narrowly missed with an acrobatic attempt late in the game.
However, Emery remained calm amid his team’s struggles, knowing how to navigate through such situations in this tournament.
Low-quality affair
Olivier Giroud came close to scoring in the first half while Emi Martinez saved well from Matias Fernandez-Pardo after the goal.
The match was mostly a tense, low-quality affair with both teams failing to find their rhythm in the final third.
However, Watkins broke the deadlock with a stunning header that could take his team one step closer to the last eight of this competition.