Aston Villa secured a commanding 3-0 aggregate victory over Lille on Thursday evening, defeating the French club 2-0 at Villa Park to advance to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. Second-half goals from John McGinn and substitute Leon Bailey ensured Unai Emery’s squad progressed comfortably following a goalless first half.
The result marks Aston Villa’s third consecutive quarter-final appearance in a major European tournament. In a continuation of their recent success in continental football, the English club will now face Italian side Bologna in the next round of the competition.
Villa entered the second leg carrying a 1-0 advantage after Ollie Watkins scored a second-half winner at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy six days prior. Manager Unai Emery made six changes from his team’s previous Premier League defeat, notably electing to start Tammy Abraham over Watkins. The tactical adjustments held Lille scoreless through the opening 45 minutes at Villa Park.
The deadlock broke in the 54th minute following a critical sequence initiated by goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. After making a crucial save, Martínez executed a quick release to Jadon Sancho. Sancho then provided the assist to McGinn, who found the back of the net to double Villa’s aggregate lead. The strike represented McGinn’s ninth goal for Aston Villa in major European competitions, tying him with club legend Peter Withe for the all-time club record.
Earlier this season a John McGinn goal and Europa League win helped spark one of the greatest #avfc runs ever. Unai Emery will be hoping history now repeats itself. On the whistle report from Villa Park: https://t.co/5rKiCOZn9z
— matt maher (@mjmarr_star) March 19, 2026
Lille failed to mount a successful comeback against the organized Villa defense. In the 86th minute, Watkins, entering the match as a substitute, unselfishly set up Bailey. Bailey converted the opportunity, registering his first goal for the club in over a year to seal the 2-0 victory on the night.
The advancement served as a milestone evening for Emery, whose supporters celebrated his 100th win as Aston Villa’s manager prior to kickoff. Emery has now reached the Europa League quarter-finals for a record eighth time across five different clubs, adding Aston Villa to a resume that includes Valencia, Sevilla, Arsenal, and Villarreal. The victory also continues a recent pattern of Aston Villa eliminating Lille from European contention, mirroring their 2023-24 Europa Conference League quarter-final triumph that concluded in a penalty shootout.