Lille vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Aston Villa won seven of their eight League Phase games
• Lille have lost five of their last eight Europa League matches
• The hosts lost the xG battle both home and away against Crvena Zvezda in the last round
• Lille have lost five of seven encounters with the sides above them in Ligue 1 this season

Perfect chance for Villa to bounce back

When Aston Villa beat RB Salzburg in their last European game back in January, they were in a strong position across three competitions. Since then, Unai Emery’s side have won once in seven, exiting the FA Cup and sliding down the Premier League table.

With Villa’s top-five place in the Premier League looking much less secure, the Europa League might end up being Villa’s best route back into next season’s Champions League.

Emery’s side should be able to return to winning ways on Thursday, as they meet a Lille side who have fallen short in their biggest tests this season. The Ligue 1 outfit were beaten at home by Crvena Zvezda in the last round, and they lost the Expected Goals battle 2.21 to 0.41 against the Serbian side.

Lille also fell short in terms of xG in the second leg, with Crvena Zvezda creating the better chances within 90 minutes before Lille progressed in extra time.

The hosts have lost five of their last eight Europa League games, while Villa won seven of their eight League Phase games. Bruno Genesio’s side have also lost five of their seven Ligue 1 clashes with the sides above them, so Villa should be backed to take a first-leg lead.