Ollie Watkins' inventive second-half header gave Aston Villa a 1-0 win at Lille in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, leaving Unai Emery's side as favourites to advance when the teams reconvene at Villa Park next Thursday.
The result ended a barren run for Villa and was Emery's 100th victory as their manager, secured on a night when Lille's raucous Stade Pierre-Mauroy never quite tipped the contest in the hosts' favour.
A Cagey, Low-Quality Opening
For an hour the tie threatened to slip by without incident. Misplaced passes and off-target shots blunted both sides in the final third, and chances of note were scarce.