OLLIE WATKINS delivered a bizarre winner but one which could well revive his World Cup hopes.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you suppose, and both Watkins and Unai Emery will have cherished it.
Many Aston Villa fans in northern France were surprised to see Emery persist with the struggling striker.
But Watkins, after a wasteful first half, delivered the all important winner to give the visitors sight of the quarter-finals ahead of next week’s second leg.
Watkins was overlooked for Thomas Tuchel’s last squad and appeared to have little hope of being among those named next week for the March friendlies.
But a goal, his first in more than a year in Europe, offers a chance to reignite his form and remind Tuchel what he can deliver in tight games.
That is certainly what this was – a rather ugly affair, but eventually a good night for Villa. Having watched English teams be toyed with across the continent in the Champions League this week, Emery will know the value of a clean sheet and a clear advantage to take back to Villa Park.
Lille’s ultras unveiled a tifo showing Joan of Arc wielding a sword and promising that ‘French never die’ as the teams walked out.
You can never really die if you are not alive in the first place. Lille proffered brave words but offered precious little on the pitch – their most potent weapon seemingly the fans relentlessly goading Villa’s Marmite keeper Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez was public enemy No1 inside the Stade Pierre Mauroy. The Argentine keeper, disliked across France following the 2022 World Cup, is a particular bete noire in these parts after a Conference League semi-final two years ago.
Back then he was booked twice, once in normal time and once during a penalty shootout for taunting the fans, but remained on the pitch.
He was greeted by a wall of raised middle fingers and deafening boos even when he emerged for a warm-up. The din was unrelenting whenever he touched the ball.
At least his presence gave supporters something to shout about. Both Emery’s men and their hosts played out the first half like a goalless draw would do just fine, thank you.
Villa were looking to find Watkins quickly, but the striker continued to look a poor imitation of the forward everyone knows he can be.
On plenty of occasions he was fed the ball at pace, with a defender to run at, and made little impact. Watkins even sent the ball out for a throw during one break when trying to play a square ball across the edge of the Lille box.
He was unfortunate to have been robbed of a near tap-in when Aissa Mandi cut out an Amadou Onana cross at the far post. He would have more luck after the break.
Lille were led by veteran Olivier Giroud, looking to add to his ten goals in ten games against Villa at the ripe age of 39.
He could not add to that tally, the closest he came being a looping header on target on the hour mark, collected by Martinez, whose counterpart Berke Ozer should have dealt with Watkins’ own loopy nod just as easily at the other end moments later.
But, Berke by name Berke by nature and the Turk was caught out of position and wrongfooted by Watkins decision to go with his head, allowing him a first goal since January and ending a run of 12 games in Europe without netting.
It was a mess of a goal for Lille, with ex-Newcastle man Chancel Mbemba allowing Emiiliano Buendia to beat him to a header on the edge of the box before Watkins’ headed it up and over the keeper.
Lille looked to respond with Matias Fernandez-Pardo drawing a stop from Martinez. That was all they could truly muster in reply – Fernandez-Pardo pleaded for an injury time penalty despite it being him who shoved over Konsa.
