Europa Conference League quarter final: Aston Villa 2 Lille 1 - Report

With Villa leading through goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn, Bafode Diakite took advantage of slack defending at a corner to score six minutes from time and keep things nicely poised heading into next week’s second leg in France.

Villa have the advantage, yet there were many elements of this match, Emery’s 1000th in management, the Spaniard will not have enjoyed.

His team led early thanks to Watkins’ 25th goal of the season but were then indebted to Emi Martinez, who saved three times one-on-one before the break.

Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson also saw a goal ruled out for a marginal offside call after McGinn had doubled the advantage early in the second half and Diakate’s goal was no less than they deserved for a confident performance.

It added up to a rather frustrating finish for Villa, playing in their 100th match in Uefa competition, who are targeting a first European semi-final since they won the European Cup in 1982.

The extent to which both teams wanted it was perhaps summed up by a half-time contretemps involving both benches, which saw two Emery’s backroom team dismissed, one of whom was assistant Pako Ayesteran, along with Lille’s goalkeeping coach.

Perhaps they got carried away in the atmosphere of Villa’s first quarter-final in 26 years, which included a pre-match fireworks display.

Emery had been willing to make changes in previous rounds but here he named his strongest available line-up, with Villa unchanged from the XI which started last Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Brentford.

That meant the same backline which had shipped three goals in nine minutes and there was another near calamity on this occasion, Diego Carlos under hitting a backpass and then being bailed out by Pau Torres, who blocked Jonathan David’s attempt to set up Edon Zhegrova.

Lille looked confident but they were soon behind thanks to Watkins. The striker had already seen one shot blocked and another saved by Lucas Chevalier before heading Villa into a 13th minute lead.

Visiting boss Paulo Fonseca had claimed his team had a plan to stop the England international. Presumably, it did not include leaving him unmarked to head home John McGinn’s corner at the far post. Lille’s defenders complained in vain of a foul by Morgan Rogers as Watkins celebrated. Princes William and George, watching from the directors’ box, approved.

The England international looked firmly in the mood and was denied a second by a well-timed block from Bafode Diakite, after Douglas Luiz had beat two opponents and played him through on goal.

Villa looked dangerous on the break but shaky in defence and Martinez was required on three occasions to save one-on-one to preserve the lead. He first denied Zhegrova after a sweeping pass found the winger free on the right and was then quick off his line to thwart David’s attempt to round him after Diakate had burst out of defence.

The third save was probably the pick of the bunch. A complete miscue from Morgan Rogers as Villa looked to attack set up the counter and when Haraldsson played in David, Martinez spread himself to save, celebrating by pumping his fists as he rose to his feet.

Emery was also making hand signals, though they were notably more fraught. Tempers on the touchline were threatening to boil over, with Fonseca booked for dissent in the first half stoppage time, while members of staff from both benches then had to be separated when the whistle blew.

Villa were on the front foot from the off when the match restarted, Leon Bailey bringing a sharp save from Chevalier after being set up by a deft Watkins touch.

Things remained heated. Luiz was booked for a shirt pull, moments after Gudmundsson was not, while Villa thought they should have had a penalty when visiting skipper Benjamin Andre seemed to clatter into Watkins in the box. Norwegian referee Espen Eskas waved away the appeals, with Dutch video assistant Dennis Higler seeing no reason for a review.

A growing sense of frustration at the officials evaporated when McGinn doubled the lead. Villa’s attempted training ground free-kick routine ended with Tielemans seeing a shot deflected behind and from the corner the hosts improvised again, Bailey finding McGinn on the edge of the box and the skipper steering a low shot into the bottom corner.

Lille, on the ropes, thought they were back in it when Gabriel Gudmundsson arrived unmarked to volley home Tiago Santos’ cross, only for VAR to rule the Sweden international had been fractionally offside.

Further frustration followed for Gudmundsson when Martinez kept out his header, while the keeper was required again at the corner to keep out Haraldsson’s flick.

Villa did not heed the warning and six minutes from time Diakite arrived to head home and set-up a potentially thrilling second leg.

Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne (Moreno 74), Bailey (Diaby 74), McGinn, Luiz, Rogers (Zaniolo 65), Tielemans, Watkins Subs not used: Kesler-Hayden, Duran, Kellyman, Iroegbunam, Gauci (gk), Olsen (gk).

Lille (4-3-3): Chevalier, Santos, Yoro, Diakite, Ismaily, Bentaleb, Andre, Haraldsson (Cabella 78), Zhegrova (Yazici 60), David, Gudmundsson (Gomes 78) Subs not used: Alexsandro, Yazici, Cavaleiro, Morais, Bouaddi,