John McGinn and Leon Bailey got the goals as Aston Villa made sure of their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a professional display against Lille.
McGinn finished a wonderful move after 54 minutes and substitute Bailey made sure of the win, and a 3-0 aggregate triumph, four minutes from time.
Villa were not at their best but didn’t need to be against a Lille side for whom Olivier Giroud worked tirelessly with little reward. Unai Emery’s men will play either Roma or Bologna in the last eight.
Stodgy first half with neither side showing any fluency
Early efforts from McGinn and Douglas Luiz were not an indication the crowd was in for an action-packed first half with neither side offering much going forward.
Lille’s attacking threat was spearheaded by 39-year-old Giroud, who has 10 career goals against Villa. He would have made it 11 after 18 minutes had it not been for a brilliant challenge from Luiz after the ball fell kindly for the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker inside the box.
Villa offered virtually nothing after the bright opening until the 44th minute when Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer made a good save to keep out Amadou Onana’s header. Jadon Sancho could not convert the rebound.
Martinez vision creates Villa opener
Lille started the second half strongly only to be caught out by a brilliant goal from the home side. It started with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with his long goal kick inch-perfect for Sancho to run on to. The on-loan winger cut inside and delayed his pass perfectly for McGinn to run on to and slot past Ozer.
Martinez joined in the celebrations as Villa edged 2-0 ahead in the tie.
Giroud had an effort rightly disallowed for offside before substitute Ollie Watkins came close with a shot that deflected inches wide.
With Lille needing a goal and throwing bodies forward, the game finally opened up and Sancho almost doubled Villa’s lead on the night with a shot that cannoned back off the post.
Hakon Haraldsson and Matias Fernandez-Pardo both had penalty shouts waved away while Martinez had to be alert to keep out an effort from Noah Edjouma.
Sancho made way for Bailey and the Jamaican made a swift impact, tapping in Watkins’ cross to end Lille’s resistance.
Giroud saw another effort ruled out as Villa clung on to a clean sheet.
