BirminghamLive brings you the talking points from Aston Villa's Europa League round of 16 triumph over Lille
Aston Villa are in the Europa League quarter-finals
Aston Villa are in the Europa League quarter-finals(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
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Aston Villa are off to Italy next month for their third European quarter-final in as many years.
John McGinn doubled Villa’s aggregate lead by opening the scoring on Thursday night, before Leon Bailey extended the hosts’ lead by tapping in Ollie Watkins’ pass.
The victory secured Villa’s passage to the last eight of the Europa League, where they will face Bologna in the quarter-finals after their dramatic 4-3 win at AS Roma.
Here are the key points from Villa’s win…
Sancho sparkles in Villa victory
Sancho has a lot of talent. Showing it - and, most importantly, doing so consistently - has been a struggle for him ever since leaving Borussia Dortmund.
His performances away at Chelsea and in Fenerbahce were the two bright spots the on-loan Manchester United winger showed before Thursday night.
While the first half was a drab affair all round, it was still Sancho who created the first real opportunity of the game, setting the ball back for Douglas Luiz.
In the second half, it was the 25-year-old’s quality that made full use of Emi Martinez’s long pass down the pitch, as he chopped inside and laid the ball off for McGinn to convert.
Playing on the right wing might not be Sancho’s preferred role, but it’s one in which he has delivered his best performances under Emery.
With McGinn and Morgan Rogers occupying the other supporting roles to the striker, it makes for a creative trio that Emery will surely favor on Sunday against West Ham.
“It is a lovely feeling [to go through]. Tonight has been incredible with the fans,” Sancho said on TNT post-match. “We stuck to the game plan, that’s what we needed, and hopefully we keep that momentum into the Premier League.
"We have got to take it game by game. Europe is very different. We stuck to the game plan, worked hard on and off the ball, and if we keep doing this, I’m sure we can go very far in this competition."
McGinn thrives in front of the Holte End
Sancho was also quick to highlight McGinn’s importance to the squad, both on and off the pitch.
“We’ve missed him a lot,” Sancho said. “He’s a great guy to be around and brings a lot of energy into the changing room. So happy to have him back, and happy to assist him today.”
McGinn admitted after the win that the first half passed him by somewhat, but he thrived in the second half in front of the Holte End.
He has now scored nine goals for Villa in major European competitions, tying the record held by European Cup winner Peter Withe.
This was McGinn’s first appearance at Villa Park since coming off injured against Everton in January, following minor knee surgery seven weeks ago. Beyond his goal, he completed 22 of 23 passes and moved efficiently around the pitch in just his second start since returning from injury.
Having played 74 minutes, Emery could consider giving him a full 90 against West Ham as Villa aim to end a run of three straight defeats.
Another Europa League clean sheet
Villa have now kept six clean sheets in 10 Europa League matches this season, with Lille failing to score across both legs.
Lille posed little threat, even with Olivier Giroud starting twice. Aside from a half-chance at the near post in France, there was little for Giroud to feed off.
Emery’s decision to drop Ezri Konsa on Thursday was bold, but with Victor Lindelof in such strong form, it proved manageable.
The Sweden international has been Villa’s standout signing this summer, rarely putting a foot wrong in 21 games under Emery.
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McGinn hails Martinez the 'mad man'
Martinez was always going to play a decisive role in this tie, especially given what happened two years ago.
Delivering the key pass to Sancho that set up McGinn’s goal, the goalkeeper helped put his team on the path to the next round.
After the assist, Martinez sprinted down the pitch to celebrate, sharing the moment with Amadou Onana, Morgan Rogers, and Sancho.
“He’s a mad man. I know he’s a family man, but he’s a big kid inside, a lively character, and a top goalkeeper. Even at 2-0, he made a great save,” McGinn said post-match.
"It was great to get a clean sheet, a solid performance, and send the Villa fans home happy. Hopefully, it’s the same on Sunday."
In his post-match press conference, Emery was also asked about Martinez's performance.
"Yes, Emi Martinez is very important. He usually can start showing our game plan, playing short and trying to progress with passes with the centre-backs.
"He can be patient, but also go long like he did with the pass he did for Sancho. I remember he did the same pass for Marcus Rashford against Brugge here last year. We got a red card for Brugge. He has this long pass.
"When he is playing focused like he was today, he can help us. Not only saving us, but we need him to play in combination with the ball, and also playing longer balls."
Next stop: Bologna
Villa will now face Bologna, who produced a remarkable tie against Roma. Bologna led the tie five times, including four times in the second leg. Nicolo Cambiaghi’s extra-time goal sealed a 4-3 win, ending Roma’s hopes of meeting Villa.
Earlier this season, Villa had beaten Bologna 1-0, marking their first victory of the campaign. The previous season, Villa won 2-0 in the Champions League league phase, during their third game of the competition.
Since February 11, when Bologna drew 1-1 with Lazio, they have lost only one of 10 matches, enjoying five consecutive victories before a home defeat to Verona. The Italian side will hope to continue their strong form before they host Villa on Thursday, April 9.
Claret & Blue verdict