LILLE hosts Aston Villa in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League tie at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday evening.
Villa is taking a 2-1 lead to France after goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn put them in charge of the tie.
But a late goal at Villa Park from Bafodé Diakitéhas put Lille right back in the tie. And with the French side strong at home, this is set to be a tricky night for Unai Emery’s Villa team.
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⏩ Quick betting tips for Lille vs Aston Villa
- Lille over 1.5 goals - 11/10 with Spreadex
- Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score - 1/1 with bet365
- Ollie Watkins to score anytime - 7/4 with bet365
LOSC Lille vs Aston Villa odds
Here are the latest match odds for Lille vs Aston Villa from our favourite football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
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LOSC Lille vs Aston Villa betting preview
Lille will be hoping strong home form is enough to overturn the 2-1 deficit they brought back from Villa Park last Thursday.
In Ligue 1 this season, LOSC have a 10-3-1 record. Their only defeat was a 2-1 loss to Reims last September, a match which Lille dominated with 70% possession and 14 shots on goal compared to Reims’ four.
Runaway Ligue 1 leaders PSG only left Stade Pierre-Mauroy with one point when the teams met in December. And in all competitions, Lille are 15 games unbeaten at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Aston Villa head to France on the back of arguably their biggest win of the season.
Needing to leave the Emirates with something to keep the pressure on Spurs in the battle for fourth place, Villa defeated Arsenal 2-0 with late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, blowing a hole in Arsenal’s title ambitions.
The win could be described as a bit of a smash-and-grab, as Arsenal could have had the three points wrapped up by halftime if they had taken their chances.
But they didn’t, and Villa grew into the match in the second half, exploiting Arsenal's nerves, and deservedly leaving with the three points.
Arsenal fans will say they should have won. Villa fans will dispute this. But what the result did show is that Villa are capable of getting results on the road.
And with the wiley Unai Emery in charge, they will fancy their chances of leaving France with at least a draw on Thursday.
Lille vs Aston Villa key stats
- Lille sit fourth in Ligue 1 with 49 points from 28 games. They are five points clear of fifth-placed Nice and three behind Monaco in third.
- Aston Villa are fourth in the English Premier League. Villa are three points clear of Spurs, who have a game in hand. The pair are locked in a tense battle to claim the fourth Champions League position.
- Lille qualified for the knockout stages of the UECL by topping Group A with 14 points from six matches. In the Round of 16, they defeated Sturm Graz 4-1 on aggregate.
- Villa topped Group E with 13 points from six matches. In the Round of 16, they beat Ajax 4-0 in the second leg at Villa Park. This came after a goalless first leg in Amsterdam.
- In their last five matches in Ligue 1, Lille has won three and drawn two. In all competitions, they have won two, drawn two, and lost one.
- Aston Villa have won two, drawn two, and lost one of their last five in the Premier League. In all competitions, Villa have won three, drawn one and lost one. The defeat was away at Manchester City.
- The head-to-head doesn’t give us any major indication of who has the upper hand. The clubs have only met three times. Before Villa’s 2-1 win last Thursday, there was a two-leg Intertoto Cup tie in 2002. Honours were even in France with a 1-1 draw. Lille won the second leg 2-0 in Birmingham.
Lille vs Aston Villa best bets
Find our best bets for Lille vs Aston Villa below. Odds for the bets are provided by the best sportsbooks, as per our expert reviews. Odds in the betting tips are subject to change.
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Lille over 1.5 goals (Spreadex)
To make it through to the semi-final, Lille has to score at least one goal just to take the tie to extra time.
The French team may keep things tight at the start to try and avoid conceding an early goal and giving themselves a mountain to climb.
But with their excellent home record, Paulo Fonseca may decide his team are well able to take the game to Villa and go looking for goals.
⚽ Back over 1.5 goals for Lille at 11/10 with Spreadex ⚽
Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score (bet365)
We’ve already mentioned Lille’s good home record. Another handy statistic to be aware of is that Lille has scored in every home match they have played this season.
Villa are also likely to hit the back of the net. They’ve found the net in 14 of their last 16 matches. Both teams to score is a bit short at 8/13. Add a third goal into the mix, and it’s even money.
⚽ Back over 2.5 goals and both teams to score at 1/1 with bet365 ⚽
Ollie Watkins to score anytime (bet365)
Villa striker Ollie Watkins is a huge looking 2/1 to score anytime with Sky Bet.
Watkins has scored four goals in his last three games for Villa, including the opener when Villa beat Lille 2-1 last Thursday.
This price can’t be ignored.
⚽ Back Ollie Watkins to score anytime at 7/4 with bet365 ⚽
How to watch Lille vs Aston Villa
- Location: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France
- Time: 17:45 BST on Thursday, April 18th
- Where to watch: TNT Sports 3
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