From the moment Emiliano Martínez was booked for time-wasting 39 minutes into this tempestuous Europa Conference League knockout tie, there was an air of inevitably that the Aston Villa goalkeeper would prove to be the hero. So it proved, with Martínez saving penalties from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin André in a shootout after Matty Cash’s late strike prevented Lille advancing and took the game to extra time.
That, however, is only half of the story. Martínez seemed intent on being the pantomime villain, his every touch jeered from the off, was cautioned again by the referee, Ivan Kruzliak, during the spot-kicks after being warned for gamesmanship – another dollop of shithousery, you could say – but avoided being sent off, leaving Villa without a goalkeeper, because cautions are not carried forward into penalties.
Unai Emery’s side are into the semi-finals of a major European tournament for the first time since 1982. Before the shootout, Emery frantically gestured for calm. Who, really, was he kidding? As Martínez strolled around his box with the ball at his feet with 118 minutes gone, successfully riling the home support for the umpteenth time, it was almost as if he was playing for penalties. Martínez, undoubtedly, backs himself and his antics here again paid dividends.
Until Matty Cash’s deflected strike nestled in the top corner on 87 minutes, via a kind deflection off a Lille defender, Villa were heading out in normal time. In truth, they could have had few complaints. But Lucas Digne, who started his career at Lille, looped a high ball in from the left and the goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, under pressure from the Villa substitute Jhon Durán, flapped at it as he went to claim the cross. Bentaleb, the former Tottenham midfielder who was otherwise neat at the base of midfield, inadvertently collided with Chevalier amid the desperation to clear the danger and Cash let rip when the ball dropped to him outside the box.
Lille have been imperious at home for a while – they came into this game 15 unbeaten but before defeat against Reims here in September they went 22 without defeat – and on the night Villa wilted in a fervent atmosphere. Lille had not played since defeat at Villa Park after being granted permission by France’s professional football league (LFP) to postpone their Ligue 1 game against Monaco, scheduled for last weekend, and their exuberance showed with Emery’s side laboured for long periods. The governing body made it clear “progress of French clubs in European Cups is an absolute priority” but by the end it counted for nothing.
Villa arrived off the back of arguably their biggest result of the season, an impressive victory at Arsenal, but they never got close to repeating that performance. It was 11 minutes into the second half when Cash, one of two Villa changes, had their first legitimate effort on goal, crashing a shot against the side netting after latching on to a John McGinn backheel. Cash tried his luck from distance approaching full-time and a few minutes later he hit the jackpot.
For Villa, for so long it proved a frustrating evening, though they were also guilty of inviting pressure. When Martínez, making his first appearance in France since triumphing against them to lift the World Cup with Argentina, was booked for time-wasting the first time, Villa trailed to Yusuf Yazici’s fine first-time strike. Leny Yoro, the highly regarded 18-year-old, pinged a diagonal pass out to the left flank, where Gabriel Gudmundsson got the ball under his spell with his first touch before zipping a low cross into the box and Yazici ran on to it, dispatching an arrowed shot into the corner.
Youri Tielemans’s careless touch gifted Hakon Arnar Haraldsson with a chance to take aim 24 seconds into the second half and the Lille captain, André doubled their lead on 67 minutes. Lille voiced their unhappiness at Villa’s use of dark arts at set pieces in the reverse fixture but here it was the hosts who prospered from a corner, André glancing in at the front post.
after newsletter promotion
Even McGinn, one of Villa’s most consistent performers, endured an off-day and aside from being Villa’s captain, it was hard to be too surprised when Duran entered in his place with 10 minutes of regular time to play. A couple of phases were symptomatic of an anaemic display; Douglas Luiz, suspended for the trip to Arsenal, sent a free-kick on the verge of half-time sailing into the gloves of Chevalier. Digne, who scored the first European goal at this stadium in 2012, did similar.
“We have time,” Bailey repeatedly told his teammates, gesturing towards the big screens at either end after replacing the ineffective Moussa Diaby with 68 minutes on the clock. Bailey provided a welcome urgency and his words rang true. Cash levelled and Villa stirred. Bailey tested Chevalier with a curling shot in the 100th minute but what came next was significant, the Lille goalkeeper making an extraordinary right-hand save to prevent Douglas Luiz nodding in the rebound. Douglas Luiz dragged his white shirt over his face in disbelief but the drama was only just beginning.