Lille vs Aston Villa Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Europa League | Round of 16

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A repeat of a UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final from two seasons ago, Lille now take on Aston Villa in the round of 16 of this season’s UEFA Europa League.

Kick-off date/time: 12 March 2026 at 5:45 pm

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+

Key stats

• Lille and Aston Villa have met across two UEFA ties, totalling four matches: Lille won their 2002 Intertoto Cup semi‑final tie 3-1 on aggregate, while Aston Villa advanced in the 2023/24 Europa Conference League quarter‑finals by winning a penalty shoot‑out after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
• Lille have lost eight of their last ten UEFA matches against English teams (W1 D1).
• Lille have lost their last four UEFA two-legged ties against English opposition.
• This is Lille’s first UEFA Europa League round of 16 appearance since the 2009/10 campaign, where their run ended with a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool.
• Lille have won five of their last seven UEFA two-legged ties.
• Olivier Giroud has scored in three of Lille’s last four UEFA Europa League matches.
• Aston Villa are winless in their six previous UEFA away matches against French opposition (D2 L4) and have lost each of the last three.
• Aston Villa have won three of their five previous UEFA two-legged ties against French teams.
• Aston Villa have won just one of their last seven matches in all competitions (D2 L4), suffering three defeats in their four most recent games (D1).
• Aston Villa have won 11 of their last 13 UEFA competition matches (L2), including each of their most recent five.
• Aston Villa have reached a UEFA round of 16 for the third consecutive season — each time in a different competition. They beat Ajax 4-0 on aggregate in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League and overcame Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate in last season’s UEFA Champions League round of 16. 

Lille vs Aston Villa prediction

Bruno Genesio came under immense pressure at the start of this season but Lille have now finally turned a corner and head into the European knockout stages in better form. The hosts’ 1-1 draw with Lorient at the weekend has made it one defeat in six after a run of just two victories in ten matches to kick off the calendar year.

Aston Villa themselves have hit a very average run of form as they drift into the fight to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, having previously been involved in the title race. Their poor form continued in their most recent outing as the Villans succumbed to a 4-1 hammering at the hands of fellow top four or five contenders Chelsea last week.

Villa, quite simply, need to bounce back and, with Unai Emery at the helm, they should be backed to do so and, even though they are back in some sort of form, Lille are still some way off their best and siding with the visitors would be good value.

Lille vs Aston Villa tip: Double chance – Aston Villa to win or draw