Lille vs Aston Villa LIVE: Europa Conference League result and reaction after Villa win on penalties
The Europa Conference League quarter-final is still up for grabs after a tight first-leg last week
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Emiliano Martinez was the unsurprising star of a dramatic penalty shootout as Aston Villa edged past Lille and into the semi-final of the Europa Conference League.
The Argentina goalkeeper, who helped his country win the World Cup 18 months ago, produced some similar heroics in France, saving spot-kicks from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin Andre to earn a 4-3 shootout win after the quarter-final had ended 3-3 on aggregate after two legs.
There was plenty of his trademark dark arts on show as he shushed the baiting French crowd, who had not forgotten what happened in Qatar, and then caused confusion by receiving a yellow card from the referee in the middle of the shootout, having already been booked in normal time.
But bookings are not carried forward into the shootout meaning he could stay on and send Villa into a first European semi-final since 1982. Follow all the reaction below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
ET: Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
97 mins: Leon Bailey, who’s provided much of the Villa threat since coming on, hits a shot straight at Chevalier.
ET: Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
96 mins: Lille will probably wonder how on Earth they’ve actually been taken to extra time. The home side dominating possession once again.
ET: Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
94 mins: Bailey tries to clip it over the top for Cash, but there’s too much on it.
ET: Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
92 mins: Unsurprisingly, extra-time has started in the same way that much of the previous 90 minutes went. Neither side threatening so far.
Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
FULL-TIME! On 95 minutes, it’s all Lille in the final exchanges, but that’s it! The final whistle blows, and we’ll have extra-time.
Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
93 mins: Gomes swings in an excellent corner and David has a free header, but it’s straight at Martinez!
Lille attack again, but Cavaliero’s shot is off target.
93 mins: David spreads it wide to Cavaleiro, who cuts in and shoots, but it’s deflected over for a corner.
Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
91 mins: Nothing comes from the Lille free-kick. There’ll be five minutes of added time, but we’ve eaten into it with the injuries.
Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
89 mins: Can Villa go on and win it before extra-time? Duran and Santos come together and both are briefly down injured.
The Villa man is booked for his troubles.
GOAL! Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
86 mins: GOAL! Villa have equalised, but will it count?
Excellent work from Watkins down the left and he turns the defender and manages to clip in a cross. Chevalier collects but he tumbles over his own player and drops the ball – Lille half-mange to clear it but only as far as Matty Cash, who rifles it into the back of the net!
2-1 on the night but level, 3-3, on aggregate.
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