Unai Emery and his Aston Villa side travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday evening, looking to secure a first-leg advantage in their Europa League last 16 tie against a resilient LOSC Lille.
The Villans arrive in northern France seeking a vital distraction from a challenging domestic spell. Despite a recent 4–1 Premier League loss to Chelsea, Villa have been near-perfect in Europe, arriving on the back of a five-match winning streak in the competition.
This run marks their longest ever winning sequence in major European competition, and a victory tonight would see them equal Arsenal’s 2020 record of six consecutive Europa League wins. While Villa finished second in the 36-team League Phase, level on points with leaders Lyon, they must now overcome a historical hurdle; the club has never won a European away match in France in six previous attempts.
Lille, meanwhile, enter the last 16 after navigating a tense knockout playoff against Crvena Zvezda. Bruno Génésio’s side has shown remarkable defensive grit recently, heading into this fixture on a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
However, “Les Dogues” have struggled for clinical efficiency in front of goal, scoring more than once only once in their last 15 outings. They will look to the veteran experience of Olivier Giroud, who has a prolific record against Aston Villa, having scored 10 goals in his last eight appearances against them for Arsenal and Chelsea.
Lille vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
- Venue: Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille
- Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez
- VAR: César Soto Grado
- Last Meeting: Lille 2–1 Aston Villa (18 April 2024, Conference League)
Team News
Lille
The hosts are managing several injury absences, including Marc-Aurele Caillard (elbow), Osame Sahraoui (groin), and Ethan Mbappé (thigh). Former Southampton defender Romain Perraud and ex-Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb are both expected to start. Notably, several key players—including Berke Özer and Aïssa Mandi—are one booking away from a suspension but remain likely starters.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery remains without Youri Tielemans (ankle), Boubacar Kamara (knee), and Andrés García (thigh). Matty Cash and Harvey Elliott face late fitness assessments, while the game likely comes too soon for John McGinn. Jadon Sancho is pushing for a recall on the right flank, while Ollie Watkins is set to lead the line over Tammy Abraham.
Form
Lille
Lille have become a bastion of low-scoring matches, with fewer than three goals produced in each of their last eight outings. While they remain unbeaten in their last seven, their home form has been patchy, winning only two of their last eight matches at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Significantly, Lille have won the first leg in only one of their last seven major European knockout ties.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has confirmed that captain John McGinn has travelled with the team and is in contention to start after being sidelined since mid-January. However, Matty Cash remains sidelined after picking up a knock against Chelsea and has not travelled. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans also remain missing through injury, while Harvey Elliott faces a late fitness assessment.
Predicted Lineups
Lille Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ozer; Santos, Ngoy, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre, Bouaddi; Haraldsson, Giroud, Correia
Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; Sancho, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
How to Watch Lille vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1. Coverage begins at 17:00 GMT.
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