Aston Villa 2-1 LOSC Lille

Ollie Watkins and John McGinn secured a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final against LOSC Lille.

Villa, competing in their first major European last-eight tie for 26 years, will take a one-goal advantage into next week’s second leg in France.

Watkins headed home his 25^th goal of the season in the 13^th minute to send Villa Park into raptures, before Emi Martínez made three superb first-half saves to preserve the hosts’ lead.

And it was captain McGinn who doubled Villa’s tally shortly after half-time with a well-taken low finish from 20 yards.

Gabriel Gudmundsson subsequently saw his effort ruled out for offside by VAR, before Bafode Diakite nodded in an 84^th-minute reply for the visitors.

It was a crucial victory in the club’s 100^th fixture in UEFA competitions and Unai Emery’s 1,000^th career match as a head coach.

The Villans have now won all six Conference League matches at Villa Park this season, scoring 14 goals in the process, while Lille suffered their first defeat in the competition.

In-form Lille, currently fourth in Ligue 1, reached the quarter-finals courtesy of a 4-1 aggregate victory over Sturm Graz, having topped Group A.

Emery named an unchanged Villa starting line-up as he kept faith with the same XI who played out a 3-3 draw against Brentford in the Premier League last weekend.

Speaking in his programme notes, Emery said: “No-one can want this Conference League more than us. No-one can have more focus, desire and will to pass through the rounds. We can win or draw or lose, but no-one can give more effort than us.”

And, roared on by the home faithful, that was evident in the opening stages.

Watkins was denied by a last-ditch sliding challenge from Benjamin Andre before stinging the palms of goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from the subsequent corner.

But he was not to be denied moments later as Villa maintained the pressure and the England striker rose from six yards out to head home captain McGinn’s inswinging corner.

The lively Watkins was denied yet again by a last-ditch tackle from Diakite before Martínez stood up strong to thwart Edon Zhegrova at the other end.

The Villa ‘keeper was at it again just after the half-hour mark as he spread his body to block from Diakite, while Watkins found the side-netting and Leon Bailey fired off target in an end-to-end first half.

And there was still time for Martínez to make another superb block to keep out Jonathan David after he was played through.

Villa carved open the visitors shortly after the restart but Bailey was denied by Chevalier following Watkins’ neat flick.

The hosts saw penalty appeals waved away following Andre’s challenge on Watkins but Villa soon doubled their advantage.

Douglas Luiz fed Bailey with a short corner and he squared the ball to the edge of the penalty area for McGinn to coolly convert with a low finish from 20 yards.

The visitors thought they had reduced the arrears in the 63^rd minute as Gudmundsson arrived unmarked to convert at the back post, only to be denied following a VAR review.

Martínez saved from Gudmundsson’s header and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s near-post flick as Lille pushed for reward.

And they got it six minutes from time as Diakite arrived to meet Remy Cabella’s corner with a glancing header, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg.