Football News

UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg, 18/04/22

Lille 2-1 Aston Villa (3-3 on aggregate; 3-4 after penalties)

The focus in the buildup to the game was always going to be on Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez. The Argentine goalkeeper became public enemy number one during the 2022 World Cup, and his antics were not soon forgotten by the French crowd that gathered to watch. Lille OSC had been the better team throughout the contest, but as penalties arrived and a hostile stadium gathered, there was always going to be one winner. 

Martínez’s every involvement was met with a cacophony of fierce whistles from a support that had seemingly gathered not only to will their team on but to vent their past frustrations at the World Cup winner. 

Despite this, the goalkeeper was a spectator as a flowing passing move cut through the box and found Yusuf Yazıcı who continued his impressive performance in the first leg with a scintillating finish. The hosts saw less of the ball than their guests, but they created far more with it, forcing Martínez into a reflex save to keep the score 2-2 on aggregate. 

Villa looked leggy as they tried to control the tempo of the game, and proved far too toothless when they ventured into the Lille half. They could not manage a single shot for the entire first forty-five minutes, and as the half-time break approached there was a growing sense of tension within the guests. 

The sloppiness from Villa continued into the second half with Youri Tielemans gifting Hákan Haraldsson the ball in a threatening area, although the Icelander’s shot was unable to test Martínez. Lille maintained their early pressure gaining the ball in high positions and making the Villa defence sweat. 

In the 56th minute,

Emiliano Martinez Yusuf Yazici