Express & Star

Aston Villa handed Lille tie in Conference League last eight

Villa have been drawn against Lille in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.

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Aston Villa beat Ajax 4-0 on Thursday night

Unai Emery’s men will host the French club in the first leg on Thursday, April 11, before travelling across the channel for the second leg on April 18.

The winners of the tie will then host either Fenerbahce or Olympiacos in the first leg of a semi-final on May 2, with the return leg away on May 9.

Lille currently sit fourth in the French First Division, reaching the last-eight of the Conference League with a comfortable 4-1 win over Austrian club Sturm Graz.

It will be the second time they have faced Villa in European competition, with Lille emerging victorious 3-1 on aggregate when the club’s met in the 2002 Intertoto Cup.

Villa remain favourites with the bookmakers to win the Conference League after beating Ajax 4-0 on aggregate in the last-16.

Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby scored the goals in Thursday night’s comfortable second leg win.