Unai Emery has selected his Aston Villa starting XI to face Lille in the Europa League tonight
Tammy Abraham of Aston Villa
Tammy Abraham of Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has named his starting XI to face Lille in the Europa League this evening.
He has opted to make six changes from the team that lost 3–1 at Manchester United last Sunday.
Emi Martinez starts in goal, behind a defence of Lamare Bogarde, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen.
Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz operate in the double pivot, while John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho support striker Tammy Abraham.
Emery’s team have a one-goal advantage tonight after winning 1–0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy last Thursday.
Villa have won each of their last six Europa League games. The only English team to have put together a longer winning streak in the competition are Chelsea, who recorded an eight-match run between April 2013 and November 2018, encompassing the 2012–13 final.
Opponents Lille have never won in nine previous visits to England in major European competition, losing their last seven in a row since a 0–0 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford in the 2005–06 Champions League group stage.
The French club have also lost six games in the Europa League this season, their highest number of defeats in a major European campaign. They have also lost three of their last four away matches, although they did beat Crvena Zvezda 2–0 in the previous round.
Villa starting XI vs Lille: Martinez; Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Luiz: McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Abraham.
Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Konsa, Digne, Cash, Garcia, Elliott, Buendia, Bailey, Watkins.
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