Aston Villa will look to secure a spot in the last eight of the Europa League when they host LOSC Lille in the second leg of the round of 16.

Having suffered a defeat at home in the first leg, LOSC Lille will be looking to come back from a goal behind and go past Aston Villa, who are considered one of the favourites to win the competition this year.

The home team were a force to reckon with during the league phase as they finished second to secure an automatic spot in the last 16. While they are pushing for a top-four finish in the league, their recent form has been very poor.

Aston Villa have only won one out of their last six games in all competitions. The only win came against Lille in the first leg, and now they are heading into this one on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United. They will certainly have to do much better if they want to ensure a spot in the next stage.

Meanwhile, the visitors are currently fifth in Ligue 1. While they have been a touch inconsistent, Lille are very much in the race for a European spot. They have been in fine form of late, having won four out of their last six games in all competitions.

While they did suffer a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, the tie is very much alive heading into the second leg at Villa Park. Given the kind of form the English club has been in, the French club will believe they can script a comeback. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Rennes, which will surely be a confident booster.

The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

The home team remain without the services of Youri Tielemans (ankle) and Boubacar Kamara (knee). Meanwhile, Emiliano Buendia is a minor doubt after he came off in discomfort at Old Trafford, and Matty Cash will be assessed after missing the last two outings.

Villa will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Emiliano Martinez will be in goal. Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen are expected to be the full-backs, while Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres in the heart of the defence.

The back four will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from the duo of Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz. The double pivot will look to ensure they dominate the ball on their home turf.

John McGinn and Jadon Sancho are expected to be the wingers, while Morgan Rogers will continue in the number ten role. Ollie Watkins is expected to be the one leading the line for the home team.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins

LOSC Lille

Meanwhile, the visitors remain without the services of Hamza Igamane (ACL), Ethan Mbappe Lottin (thigh), Marc-Aurele Caillard (elbow), Osame Sahraoui (groin) and Ousmane Toure (knee) because of injury.

Lille will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Berke Ozer will take charge in goal. Tiago Santos and Romain Perraud should be the full-backs, while Aissa Mandi will partner with Chancel Mbemba in the heart of the defence.

The back four will be protected by the double pivot of Benjamin Andre and Nabil Bentaleb. The duo will certainly have a lot of defending to do away from home.

Hakon Haraldsson and Gaetan Perrin will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Ayyoub Bouaddi will take up the number ten role behind veteran striker Olivier Giroud.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ozer; Santos, Mbemba, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre; Haraldsson, Bouaddi, Perrin; Giroud

Key Stats

• Aston Villa have only won one out of their last six games in all competitions.
• Meanwhile, Lille have won four out of their last six, with just one defeat to their name.
• Lille secured a 2-0 win at Villa Park during the Intertoto Cup semi-final tie back in August 2002.
• However, the Ligue 1 outfit have only won three out of their last 20 games against English teams (D5 L12).
• Villa knocked Lille out of the Conference League quarter-finals on penalties two years back.

Player to Watch

Ollie Watkins

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Unai Emery will be hoping his star forward Watkins delivers yet again in the second leg, having scored the only goal in the first leg. The 30-year-old striker has been constantly linked with a move away from the club, but while he is around, he remains an integral part of the Spanish manager’s plans.

He only has nine goals and an assist to his name this season, which is obviously nowhere close to his best. But given the amount of experience he has, Emery is hoping he steps up on the big night in front of the home fans.

Prediction

Aston Villa 2-2 LOSC Lille

Aston Villa will look to make the most of their home advantage as they aim to protect their slender lead from the first leg. Despite their recent struggles, Unai Emery’s men have shown they can rise to the occasion in Europe and will be keen to control the tempo while limiting Lille’s attacking threat.

However, LOSC Lille arrive in better form and will believe they have what it takes to turn the tie around. The French side are likely to take more risks and push forward in search of goals, which could open up the game. While they might get on the scoresheet, Villa’s experience and first-leg advantage should be enough to see them through to the next round.

The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the second leg. Aston Villa go through 3-2 on aggregate.