Lille vs Aston Villa prediction, odds and betting tips

Aston Villa take a narrow aggregate lead to France as they face Lille in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.

Lille vs Aston Villa odds

Find the latest match odds for Lille vs Aston Villa prediction. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

⚡Quick Lille vs Aston Villa betting tips

• Draw - 21/10 with BetMGM
• Lille to score first - 3/4 with BetMGM
• Ollie Watkins to score any time - 13/8 with BetMGM

Lille vs Aston Villa predictions

Unusually, Aston Villa have more than one reason to be targeting victory in the Europa Conference League this season. 

There is, of course, the glory that such a triumph would bring in itself. Villa did win the European Cup once, but they have not won a trophy since going all the way in the League Cup of 1995/96. They even spent three seasons in the Championship in the interim.

West Ham United gave their supporters one of the nights of their lives in winning this tournament last term. After witnessing that, Villa fans will be desperate to follow suit.

Yet the chance to add another piece of silverware to the Villa Park cabinet is not the only source of motivation for Unai Emery and his players.

Winning the Europa Conference League would go a long way to helping the Premier League land one of the two additional spots available in next season’s Champions League.

Italy look set to be granted one of those berths, with England and Germany duking it out for the other. The ‘winner’ will be the league whose teams perform best in continental competition for the remainder of the campaign. 

As such, Villa and Tottenham Hotspur will both be cheering on Manchester City and Arsenal in this week’s Champions League quarter-finals, although Liverpool and West Ham United look set to be eliminated from the Europa League.

The outcome of games involving German outfits Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will also go a long way to determining whether England or Germany is given a fifth qualifier.

It might not matter for Villa anyway: a brilliant 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the weekend moved them three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, although Ange Postecoglou’s side do have a game in hand.

Villa will now turn their attention to the second leg of this clash with Lille, with the aggregate score 2-1 in their favour.

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Lille vs Aston Villa betting tips

Lille are no pushovers but Aston Villa should get the job done at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Thursday.

Draw - 21/10 (BetMGM)

With Aston Villa 2-1 up heading into the latter stages of the first leg, Bafode Diakite scored what could be a crucial goal for Lille.

That effort halved the aggregate deficit and it will have given Paulo Fonseca’s side some belief ahead of Villa’s trip across the Channel.

Emery’s men delivered an excellent display in the aforementioned defeat of Arsenal last time out, but that does not mean they will have everything their own way at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.

Lille are much better on familiar turf than they are at opposition grounds. No team in Ligue 1 has a better home record than Fonseca’s team.

Reims, managed by Englishman Will Still, are the only visiting team that have won at the Pierre Mauroy in any competition in 2023/24 - and their victory came back in September.

A draw would be a good result for Villa, so Emery would be more than happy for this bet to pay out.

⚽ Go for a draw at 21/10 with BetMGM ⚽

Lille to score first - 3/4 (BetMGM)

Lille will need to take the game to Aston Villa on Thursday. The first goal, you feel, will be crucial to determining the outcome of this quarter-final.

The good news for Lille fans is that their side regularly breaks the deadlock.

They have scored the opening goal in 20 of their 28 Ligue 1 matches this season, a rate that no other French side can better. At home, meanwhile, Lille have drawn first blood in a league-high 79 percent of their games. 

Villa could be caught between two stools early on. Emery will not want his side to be passive, but nor will the Villans take undue risks in the opening exchanges.

Lille need a fast start to convince their fans that this tie is still salvageable. We like their chances of taking the lead.

⚽ Back Lille to score first at 3/4 with BetMGM ⚽

Ollie Watkins to score any time - 13/8 (BetMGM)

Ollie Watkins was on the scoresheet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as his late strike doubled Aston Villa’s lead and put them out of Arsenal’s reach. 

Watkins is just one goal behind Erling Haaland in the Premier League goal charts and he has a fantastic chance of winning the Golden Boot.

In the Europa Conference League, the Villa frontman has scored four times - including once against Lille at Villa Park.

Watkins can make an impact in the second leg too. As he showed at the Emirates, he has the attributes to cause real problems when he has space to run into.

Lille might not be able to avoid leaving gaps as they seek to get back into the quarter-final, so Watkins should get a few opportunities here.

⚽ Tip Ollie Watkins as an anytime scorer at 13/8 with BetMGM ⚽

📺 How to watch Lille vs Aston Villa

• Location: Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, France.
• Date and time: Thursday 18th April, 5.45pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 3.

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