Villa vs.
LOSC Lille
🟥 18 April 2024, Villa p1-2 Lille, Stade Pierre Mauroy
Game #5718
Manager: Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | Hondarribia, 2022-
Referee: Ivan Kružliak | 🇸🇰 | Bratislava, 2011- 🆘
Kick off: 5.45pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-1
FT Score: 🟥 1-2
AET Result: 🟥 Lost
AET Score: 🟥 1-2
Aggregate Result: 🟨 Drew
Aggregate Score: 🟨
Penalties: 🟩 4-3
Last 5: 🟥 🟨 🟩 🟩 🟥
Season | 2023-24 |
Matchday | #49 |
European Game | #12 |
Manager Game | #76 |
Thursday, 18 April 2024
Attendance | 47,093 |
Scorer(s): Matty Cash | 87’ |
Assist(s): None
Match Timeline
Starting XI
GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | 🟨 | 🟨 | 🟥 |
RB Matty Cash | 🏴 🇵🇱 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 |
CB Pau Torres | 🇪🇸 |
LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
M Youri Tielemans | 🇧🇪 |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 |
M John McGinn | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Nicolò Zaniolo | 🇮🇹 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
W Moussa Diaby | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴 | 🟨 |
Substitutes
🔁 | M Morgan Rogers | 🏴 | 🟨 | for M Nicolò Zaniolo | 🇮🇹 | 28’ |
🔁 | W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | for W Moussa Diaby | 🇫🇷 | 69’ |
🔁 | CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | 🟨 | for M John McGinn | 🏴 | 80’ |
Unused Substitutes
GK Robin Olsen | 🇸🇪 |
GK Joe Gauci | 🇦🇺 |
RB Kaine Kesler Hayden | 🏴 |
FB Finley Munroe | 🏴 |
CB Clément Lenglet | 🇫🇷 |
CB Diego Carlos | 🇧🇷 |
M Tim Iroegbunam | 🏴 |
F Omari Kellyman | 🇬🇧 |
CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 |
Starting XI
GK Lucas Chevalier | 🇫🇷 |
RB Tiago Santos | 🇵🇹 | 🟨 |
RB Bafodé Diakité | 🇫🇷 |
CB Yeny Loro | 🇫🇷 |
LB Gabriel Gudmundsson | 🇸🇪 | 🔁 |
LB Ismaily Gonçalves dos Santos | 🇧🇷 |
M Benjamin André | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
M Nabil Bentaleb | 🇩🇿 | 🟨 |
M Yusuf Yazıcı | 🇹🇷 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
W Hákon Arnar Haraldsson | 🇮🇸 | 🔁 |
CF Jonathan David | 🇨🇦 |
Substitutes
🔁 | M Angel Gomés | 🏴 | 🟨 | for W Hákon Arnar Haraldsson | 🇮🇸 | 77’ |
🔁 | W Ivan Cavaleiro | 🇦🇴 | for M Yusuf Yazıcı | 🇹🇷 | 86’ |
🔁 | M Rémy Cabella | 🇫🇷 | for LB Gabriel Gudmundsson | 🇸🇪 | 90’ |
Unused Substitutes
GK Vito Mannone | 🇮🇹 |
GK Tom Negrel | 🇫🇷 |
CB Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro | 🇧🇷 |
CB Ousmane Touré | 🇫🇷 |
M Ayyoub Bouaddi | 🇫🇷 |
W Adam Ounas | 🇩🇿 |
W Tiago Morais | 🇵🇹 |
W Ichem Ferrah | 🇫🇷 |
Match Timeline
🥅 | 15’ Goal, 0-1, (LOSC Lille), Yusuf Yazici
🟨 | 21’ Booking, Nicolò Zaniolo
🕒 | 26’ Game paused due to injuries
🚑 | 26’ Injury, Emiliano Martínez, head injury
🚑 | 26’ Injury, Nicolò Zaniolo, hamstring
🔁 | 28’ Sub off, Nicolò Zaniolo, Sub on, Morgan Rogers
🕒 | 29’ Game restarts
🟨 | 39’ Booking, Emiliano Martínez, timewasting
🕒 | 45’+4 HT LOSC Lille 1-0 Aston Villa
🟨 | 61’ Booking, Lucas Digne for a bad foul
🥅 | 68’ Goal, 0-2, (LOSC Lille), Benjamin André
🔁 | 69’ Sub off, Moussa Diaby, Sub on, Leon Bailey
🟨 | 76’ Booking, Morgan Rogers for a bad foul
🔁 | 80’ Sub off, John McGinn, Sub on, Jhon Durán
⚽ | 87’ Goal, 1-2, Matty Cash
🟨 | 90’ Booking, Jhon Durán for a bad foul
🕒 | 105’ ET HT LOSC Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
🟨 | 109’ Booking, Ollie Watkins for a bad foul
🎥 | 112’ VAR Check for penalty (LOSC Lille), no penalty
🕒 | 120+1’ ET FT LOSC Lille 2-1 Aston Villa
Penalties
🟢 1-0 Youri Tielemans, Scored
**20:25:** Following the first, and successful, spot kick from Tielemans, Martinez moves towards the loose ball as it rolls towards the penalty spot. Lille’s Bentaleb reacts and runs to collect the ball.
Martinez picks up the ball and, as is customary, starts to feel it.
Referee Kružliak and Bentaleb move towards Martinez as if to engage in words but the Villa ‘keeper releases the ball before a conversation can occur and takes his position on the line.
Referee Kružliak in a clearly antagonistic mood follows Martinez and begins to lecture him. Observers are confused as nothing that is not completely normal in a penalty decision, let alone a penalty shoot out in the quarter final of a European competition, has been seen.
🔴 1-0 Nabil Bentaleb (LOSC Lille), Missed, Save by Emiliano Martínez
**20:26:** Martinez shuffles on the line a la Grobbelaar, as the aggressor Bentaleb goes to take Lille’s first kick and despite feigning a move to the right, saves to the left to leave Villa 1-0 ahead in the shoot out.
Bentaleb, already having showed aggressive intent, pointlessly connects with the rebound and attempts to strike the ball. Martinez has to take cover from an expected delivery into the goal mouth. Bentaleb’s shot however is typically comically poor and sails into the Lille fans behind the goal.
Martinez reacts by putting his finger to his lips to shush a crowd who have baited him from the first minute. Martinez remains in control of his area and repeats his gesture to both sides of his goal.
**20:27:** The Neanderthal crowd throw objects at Martinez. Classy.
Referee Kružliak decides Martinez deserves another lecture, and is removed from the goal, before the referee tackles Martinez once again with no further incident seeming to have occurred.
Martinez questions why referee Kružliak was ignoring the provocation and missiles from the stand.
Referee Kružliak walks away.
Meanwhile Referee Kružliak has delayed Ollie Watkins’ penalty for no apparent reason whilst the Lille crowd hold onto the match ball refusing to return it to the field of play.
The opposition ‘keeper, Chevalier, is positioned on the six yard line facing off against Ollie Watkins at twelve yards.
**20:28:** Martinez as is customary walks to take his place on the line to await his next action and gestures to the Lille crowd to stop throwing missiles.
🟨 | Booking, Emiliano Martínez
🟥 | Sending off, Total insanity as the referee sends off Emiliano Martínez for a second yellow card for gesturing to the crowd to stop throwing missiles at him and booing him as they have done from the first whistle. It is unclear what would have happened as no substitutes are permitted once the match had completed its course.
Referee Kružliak has a rush of blood to the head and runs over in an apparently uncontrolled fashion and shows Martinez a yellow card, despite the Villa ‘keeper again being rained on by missiles thrown from the Lille crowd.
Martinez, as confused as those watching, questions the referee as to his actions, before Douglas Luiz, acting as captain since John McGinn’s substitution comes to talk to the referee to try and understand his action.
Referee Kružliak waves his hands like a petulant child refusing to hear Douglas Luiz or Martinez’s questions as to what has just happens and what the consequences are.
It is assumed, without referee Kružliak’s engagement, that Martinez has received a second yellow card and is therefore dismissed and unable to take any further part in the penalty shoot out.
Villa now face the rest of the penalty shoot out with just one kick taken by either side without a goalkeeper.
Luiz continues to try to engage with referee Kružliak whilst Martinez stands on the sidelines in total confusion.
Martinez again appeals to referee Kružliak to take action against the behaviour of the Lille crowd but to no avail.
**20:29:** Ollie Watkins still waits to take his penalty due to the delay caused by referee Kružliak but as he finally gets the chance another ball is thrown from the Lille crowd. Martinez, unbelievably, is called over by referee Kružliak to remove the errant ball with the Villa ‘keeper and all observers totally confused as to whether Martinez can still play a part in the game.
🟢 2-0 Ollie Watkins, Scored
**20:30:** Ollie Watkins meets with Martinez following his successful spot kick and Martinez takes his place in goal in lieu of any confirmation from the referee Kružliak as to whether he can continue or not.
Bizarrely referee Kružliak then helps Lille centre forward Jonathan David place the ball on the spot. Martinez repeats his moves from the Bentaleb save and is foiled by David’s stop start approach.
🟢 2-1 Jonathan David (LOSC Lille), Scored
David celebrates by encouraging the Lille crowd to keep up their behaviour.
**20:31:** Martinez, beaten by David, walks to the customary position in a penalty shootout.
Meanwhile as Matty Cash approaches to take Villa’s third kick, Lille’s ‘keeper Chevalier confronts him before being ordered back by referee Kružliak.
🟢 3-1 Matty Cash, Scored
Cash scores.
Martinez, still with no idea as to whether he is permitted to continue playing, returns to his goal line before once again gesturing to referee Kružliak for clarity. No response, positive or negative is received.
🟢 3-2 Angel Gomés (LOSC Lille), Scored
**20:32:** Martinez takes a more conservative approach to the penalty of Lille’s Angel Gomes, holding his arms wide and above his head.
Gomes takes the legality of a penalty kick to its limits, by shuffling, delaying and stuttering in his run up.
Martinez, justifiably, gestures to the referee Kružliak, to highlight the potential illegality of Gomes’ kick,
Martinez receives no response from referee Kružliak and points to his eyes to question referee Kružliak’s observation and control of the game.
🔴 3-2 Leon Bailey, Missed, Save by Lucas Chevalier
Lille ‘ keeper Chevalier saves Leon Bailey’s spot kick and celebrates by gesturing to the crowd, flexing repeatedly before finally walking away.
Referee Kružliak fails to take any action.
🟢 3-3 Rémy Cabella (LOSC Lille), Scored
**20:33:** Martinez returns to goal, subdued by referee Kružliak and sees Lille’s Cabella score past him to level the scores.
Thereafter Cabella crouches to his knees, adopts an aggressive gesture to the already unruly crowd and then kicks the ball away and runs to Lille’ keeper Chevalier before continuing to urge the missile throwing Lille crowd to more intensity.
Referee Kružliak fails to take any action.
Martinez retrieves the ball before throwing it to the incoming Douglas Luiz and retakes his customary spot.
Sudden Death
**20:34:** Luiz receives a bizarre and unjustified lecture from referee Kružliak prior to his kick for no clear reason.
🟢 4-3 Douglas Luiz, Scored
Despite the interruption Luiz puts Villa in control of the shootout.
🔴 4-3 Benjamin André (LOSC Lille), Missed, Save by Emiliano Martínez
Benjamin André, hardly a shrinking violet over the two legs, hits his kick centrally and Martinez saves to win the shootout for Villa.
**20:35:** Martinez celebrates in his box, facing the Lille crowd - it would have been rather odd to have done otherwise.
Martinez turns towards his team to celebrate before referee Kružliak blows his whistle suggesting the final spot kick needs to be retaken.
Martinez sprints towards his team-mates with referee Kružliak appearing to have blown his whistle in error.
Despite a shocking, embarrassing performance from referee Kružliak in the shoot out Villa win 4-3.
On This Day
Leon Bailey comes of the bench to make his 100th appearance in a Villa shirt (63 Starts) since joining in August 2021 to make it W48 D14 L38, 19 Goals, 19 Assists and 14 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one every 1.66 starts so far in his Villa career.
🟩 11 April 2024, Villa 2-1 Lille, Villa Park
Game #5716
Manager: Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | Hondarribia, 2022-
Referee: Espen Eskås | 🇳🇴 | Oslo, 2017-
Kick off: 8.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 1-0
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 2-1
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟩 🟥 🟩
Season | 2023-24 |
Matchday | #47 |
European Game | #11 |
Manager Game | #74 |
Thursday, 11 April 2024
Attendance | 37,220 |
Scorer(s): Ollie Watkins | 13’ | John McGinn | 56’ |
Assist(s): John McGinn | 13’ | Leon Bailey | 56’ |
Match Timeline
Starting XI
GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | 🟨 |
LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
CB Pau Torres | 🇪🇸 |
CB Diego Carlos | 🇧🇷 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 |
M Youri Tielemans | 🇧🇪 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
M Morgan Rogers | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M John McGinn | 🏴 | 🔥 | ⚽ |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 🟨 |
W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
Substitutes
🔁 | M Nicolò Zaniolo | 🇮🇹 | for M Morgan Rogers | 🏴 | 66’ |
🔁 | W Moussa Diaby | 🇫🇷 | for W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | 74’ |
🔁 | LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | for LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 74’ |
🔁 | M Tim Iroegbunam | 🏴 | for M Youri Tielemans | 🇧🇪 | 82’ |
🔁 | CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | for CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴 | 82’ |
Unused Substitutes
GK Robin Olsen | 🇸🇪 | £3.00m |
GK Joe Gauci | 🇦🇺 | £1.28m |
RB Kaine Kesler Hayden | 🏴 | Youth |
F Omari Kellyman | 🇬🇧 | £0.60m |
Starting XI
Substitutes
Unused Substitutes
Match Timeline
⚽ | 13’ Goal, 1-0, Ollie Watkins, Assist by John McGinn
🕒 | 45’+3 HT Aston Villa 1-0 LOSC Lille
🟨 | 49’ Booking, Douglas Luiz for a bad foul
⚽ | 56’ Goal, 2-0, John McGinn, Assist by Leon Bailey
🥅 | 63’ Goal, 2-1, (LOSC Lille), Gabriel Gudmundsson
🔁 | 66’ Sub off, Morgan Rogers, Sub on, Nicolò Zaniolo
🎥 | 66’ VAR disallows goal for offside (LOSC Lille)
🔁 | 74’ Sub off, Leon Bailey, Sub on, Moussa Diaby
🔁 | 74’ Sub off, Lucas Digne, Sub on, Álex Moreno
🟨 | 77’ Booking, Youri Tielemans for a bad foul
🔁 | 82’ Sub off, Ollie Watkins, Sub on, Jhon Durán
🔁 | 82’ Sub off, Youri Tielemans, Sub on, Tim Iroegbunam
🥅 | 84’ Goal, 2-1, (LOSC Lille), Bafodé Diakité
🟨 | 90’+4 Booking, Emiliano Martínez
🕒 | 90’+7 FT Aston Villa 2-1 LOSC Lille
On This Day
Well it wouldn't be Villa in Europe without us conceding to leave the tie in the balance.
Thankfully the away goals rule was dumped in 2021.
Moussa Diaby secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 45th appearance (28 Starts) to make it W25 D9 L11, 8 Goals, 7 Assists and 3 Bookings so far in his Villa career.
Unai Emery's 1,000th game as a manager and surely no period can illustrate his incredible quality than his first 74 with Villa. Whatever happens in the denouement of this season, Emery has taken a team on course for relegation to the top four of the Premier League and within sight of a European final for the first time in over 40 years.
🟥 7 August 2002, Villa 0-2 Lille, Villa Park.
Game #4718
Manager: Graham Taylor | 🏴 | Worksop, 2002-2003
Referee: Paulo Costa | 🇵🇹 | Porto, 1995-2010
Kick off: 7.45pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-1
FT Score: 🟥 0-2
Aggregate Score: 🟥 1-3
Aggregate Result: 🟥 Lost
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟥
Season | 2002-03 |
Matchday | #4 |
Manager Game | #17 |
Wednesday, 7 August 2002
Scorer(s) | None |
Assist(s) | None
Match Timeline
Starting XI
GK Peter Enckelman | 🇫🇮 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 | 🟨 |
CB Olof Mellberg | 🇸🇪 |
RB Mark Delaney | 🏴 |
M Gareth Barry | 🏴 |
M Thomas Hitzlsperger | 🇩🇪 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
CF Peter Crouch | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Dion Dublin | 🏴 | 🔁 |
F Marcus Allbäck | 🇸🇪 |
F Darius Vassell | 🏴 |
Substitutes
🔁 M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 | for CF Dion Dublin | 🏴 | 46’ |
🔁 M Mustapha Hadji | 🇲🇦 | for M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 57’ |
🔁 F Stefan Moore | 🏴 | 🟨 | for CF Peter Crouch | 🏴 | 82’ |
Unused Substitutes
GK Stefan Postma | 🇳🇱 |
CB Liam Ridgewell | 🏴 |
RB Jlloyd Samuel | 🏴 |
F Michael Boulding | 🏴 |
Starting XI
GK Grégory Wimbée | 🇫🇷 |
LB Grégory Tafforeau | 🇫🇷 |
CB Abdelilah Fahmi | 🇲🇦 | ⚽ |
CB Rafael Schmitz | 🇧🇷 |
CB Matthieu Delpierre | 🇫🇷 |
RB Matthieu Chalmé | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
M Nicolas Bonnal | 🇫🇷 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
M Philippe Brunel | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
M Christophe Landrin | 🇫🇷 |
M Sylvain N’Diaye | 🇸🇳 | 🟨 | 🟨 | 🟥 |
CF Matt Moussilou | 🇨🇬 | 🔁 |
Substitutes
🔁 | M Nicolas Bonnal | 🇫🇷 | (M Benoît Cheyrou | 🇫🇷 |)
🔁 | M Philippe Brunel | 🇫🇷 | (CF Djezon Boutoille | 🇫🇷 |)
🔁 | CF Matt Moussilou | 🇨🇬 | (M Mile Sterjovski | 🇦🇺 | 🟨 |)
Unused Substitutes
RB Stéphane Pichot | 🇫🇷 |
M Fernando D'Amico | 🇦🇷 |
CF Héctor Tapia | 🇨🇱 |
Match Timeline
🟨 | 34’ Booking, Ian Taylor
🥅 | 45’ Goal, 0-1, (Lille OSC), Abdelilah Fahmi
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 0-1 Lille OSC
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, Dion Dublin, Sub on, Lee Hendrie
🥅 | 47’ Goal, 0-2, (Lille OSC), Nicolas Bonnal
🔁 | 57’ Sub off, Ian Taylor, Sub on, Mustapha Hadji
🔁 | 82’ Sub off, Peter Crouch, Sub on, Stefan Moore
🟥 | 88’ Sending off, (Lille OSC), Sylvain N’Diaye
🟨 | 90’ Booking, Stefan Moore
🟨 | 90’ Booking, Steve Staunton
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 0-2 Lille OSC
On This Day
Villa suffer a shock outright defeat at home to Lille in the Intertoto Cup to render their away goal useless and end any European hopes before the season began.as question marks are already raised about the wisdom of keeping veteran boss Graham Taylor on for a second season.
🟨 31 July 2002, Villa 1-1 Lille, Stade Grimonprez-Jooris.
Game #4717
Manager: Graham Taylor | 🏴 | Worksop, 1987-1990
Referee: Željko Širić | 🇭🇷 | 1993-2006
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟨
Season | 2002-03 |
Matchday | #3 |
Manager Game | #16 |
Wednesday, 31 July 2002
Scorer(s) | Ian Taylor | 76’ |
Assist(s) | Olof Mellberg | 76' |
Match Timeline
Starting XI
GK Stefan Postma | 🇳🇱 | 🟢 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 | 🟨 |
CB Olof Mellberg | 🇸🇪 | 🔥 |
RB Mark Delaney | 🏴 |
RB Jlloyd Samuel | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Gareth Barry | 🏴 |
M Thomas Hitzlsperger | 🇩🇪 |
M Mustapha Hadji | 🇲🇦 | 🔁 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | ⚽ |
CF Peter Crouch | 🏴 |
F Marcus Allbäck | 🇸🇪 | 🔁 |
Substitutes
🔁 F Darius Vassell | 🏴 | for M Mustapha Hadji | 🇲🇦 | 69’ |
🔁 M Steve Stone | 🏴 | 🔴 | for F Marcus Allbäck | 🇸🇪 | 81’ |
Unused Substitutes
CB Liam Ridgewell | 🏴 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
F Michael Boulding | 🏴 |
F Stefan Moore | 🏴 |
Starting XI
GK Grégory Wimbée | 🇫🇷 |
LB Grégory Tafforeau | 🇫🇷 |
CB Matthieu Delpierre | 🇫🇷 |
CB Abdelilah Fahmi | 🇲🇦 |
RB Stéphane Pichot | 🇫🇷 |
RB Matthieu Chalmé | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
M Fernando D’Amico | 🇦🇷 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
M Sylvain N’Diaye | 🇸🇳 |
M Philippe Brunel | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
M Mile Sterjovski | 🇦🇺 |
CF Matt Moussilou | 🇨🇬 | 🔁 |
Substitutes
🔁 | RB Matthieu Chalmé | 🇫🇷 | (CF Djezon Boutoille | 🇫🇷 |)
🔁 | M Philippe Brunel | 🇫🇷 | (M Nicolas Bonnal | 🇫🇷 |)
🔁 | CF Matt Moussilou | 🇨🇬 | (CF Héctor Tapia | 🇨🇱 |)
Unused Substitutes
GK Grégory Malicki | 🇫🇷 |
M Christophe Landrin | 🇫🇷 |
CB Rafael Schmitz | 🇧🇷 |
CF Marc-Antoine Fortuné | 🇬🇫 |
Match Timeline
🟢 | 1’ Debut, Stefan Postma
🕒 | HT Lille OSC 0-0 Aston Villa
🟨 | 46’ Booking, Jlloyd Samuel
🔁 | 69’ Sub off, Mustapha Hadji, Sub on, Darius Vassell
⚽ | 76’ Goal, 1-0, Ian Taylor, Assist by Olof Mellberg
🔁 | 81’ Sub off, Marcus Allbäck, Sub on, Steve Stone 🔴
🟨 | 83’ Booking, Steve Staunton
🥅 | 90’ Goal, 1-1, (Lille OSC), Fernando D’Amico
🕒 | FT Lille OSC 1-1 Aston Villa
On This Day
Villa face LOSC Lille for the first time in competitive football, Lille become the 149th team that the Villa first team has played in League or Cup football, Villa’s 33rd continental European opponents and their third from France following their meetings with FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Stade Rennais F.C. in previous campaigns.
Villa score a crucial away goal through Ian Taylor but concede in the last minute to leave the tie in the balance.
Goalkeeper Stefan Postma, 26, makes his debut in a Villa shirt after joining from De Graafschap for £2,000,000 earlier this month to become the 762nd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.
Peter Crouch makes his 10th appearance in a Villa shirt to make it W3 D3 L4, 2 Goals and 3 Assists at a goal involvement rate of one for every 2.00 games played so far in his Villa career.
In less positive news, Graham Taylor’s clear out of the Gregory era team continued as 30 year old midfielder Steve Stone is shown the door and follows Paul Merson to Portsmouth on a free transfer. Stone, seemingly underused by John Gregory despite his high fee signing from Forest, and then jettisoned early by Taylor, made 121 Appearances (86 Starts) across his 5 seasons with Villa to leave with a record of W42 D40 L39, 7 Goals, 13 Assists and 15 Bookings.