Aston Villa progressed to the semifinals of the Europa Conference League with a penalty shootout win over Lille on Thursday evening – the first time they have reached the last four in Europe since 1982.
On that occasion, Villa won the European Cup and Unai Emery will be hoping to lead his side to another major continental triumph.
Despite sealing a last-four spot, the Midlands outfit didn’t play particularly well, having to rely on a late goal by Matty Cash to take the game to extra time, where Emiliano Martínez (who else) was the hero during the shootout.
Youri Tielemans in particular, failed to have much influence on the game and this could jeopardise his place in the starting XI ahead of the clash against Bournemouth.
Youri Tielemans’ game in numbers vs Lille
The Belgian was tasked with controlling the game from the heart of the midfield while advancing forward whenever possible, yet he sat deeper than usual against the French side.
Throughout the 120 minutes, Tielemans took only 38 touches while completing 22 passes, evidence of his lack of impact for Villa. The midfielder also lost possession nine times, made only one key pass, and had no shots on dribble attempts during the entire game.
Accurate passes
22/28
Touches
38
Key passes
1
Total duels (won)
7 (6)
Lost possession
9
He was given a match rating of just 6/10 by Birmingham Live as John Townley stated that the former Leicester City star ‘had a limited influence on the night’ while he also ‘lost possession in a dangerous position’ towards the start of the second half, but Lille failed to take advantage.
It was a disappointing performance, but Moussa Diaby was arguably worse as he failed to offer anything in the final third.
Moussa Diaby’s stats against Lille
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger was unleashed from the start against the team currently sitting fourth in Ligue 1 with the hopes he could cause some damage.
The Frenchman was subbed off in the 68th minute as Townley claimed he ‘struggled to involve himself in the game’ and was subsequently given a rating of just 5/10 for his uninspiring performance.
Indeed, Diaby only took 18 touches while completing eight passes during his time on the field, supporting the notion regarding his lack of impact.
He failed to take any shots or attempt any dribbles, while also making zero key passes or creating any big chances, looking lost as Villa pushed forward.
It was perhaps a surprise to see Leon Bailey fail to secure a start after his excellent cameo against Arsenal last weekend, but there is no doubt the Jamaican should be pushed back into the starting XI after Diaby’s display against Lille.
Emery’s side will have to improve massively when they face off against Olympiacos next month if they wish to reach just their second-ever major European final.
A response will be required as they welcome Bournemouth to Villa Park on Sunday, especially as the hunt for the fourth and final Champions League berth is beginning to heat up quite nicely.
Aston Villa star was the real European hero over Martinez vs Lille
The Villa rock had 116 touches and won every single duel last night.
ByTom LeverApr 19, 2024