UECL Preview: In-form Cabella, David lead Lille

After a nervy encounter last week at Villa Park which saw the hosts emerge 2-1 winners, LOSC Lille are back in UEFA Conference League action. They’ll play the second leg of their quarterfinal tie against Aston Villa at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy tomorrow evening with mixed news as to their fitness. Man of the moment Jonathan David will again lead the line — the Canadian has been one of Europe’s top strikers in 2024, and will be key to his side’s hoping to overcome their first-leg deficit.

Angel Gomes is also fully fit, having played only the final fifteen minutes in Birmingham last week. The Englishman could even be given a place in the starting lineup, with Edon Zhegrova set to miss the match with an ankle injury. After the team were given the weekend off from Ligue 1 fixtures, Gomes is likely to slot back into the side in attacking midfield, with veteran Rémy Cabella and one of Yusuf Yazici Adam Ounas or Hákon Haraldsson being deployed on the flanks.

Focused on Aston Villa 👀 pic.twitter.com/8JcAnnyfP6

— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) April 14, 2024

Save Gomes and Zhegrova, Lille’s team should have a familiar look, but it remains to be seen how Aston Villa’s Unai Emery will set up his side. Villa were in action this weekend, and impressively so, having beaten Arsenal 2-0 with a pair of late goals. Emi Martínez was the hero of the match, making several improbable saves, while Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins provided the goals.

A result like this will have given the visitors confidence, but it remains to be seen whether their exertions and the pressures of clinching a place in the top four in the Premier League will have taken their toll. Injury-wise, the visitors remain without several key players, including former Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara and defenders Tyrone Mings and Matty Cash. Despite those absences, Villa looked solid indeed against Arsenal at the weekend, and should they be able to summon another performance of that calibre, Les Dogues will have their work cut out for them.

Predicted lineups:

LOSC Lille: (4-2-3-1): Chevalier; Santos, Diakité, Yoro, Ismaily; André, Bentaleb; Yazici, Gomes, Caeblla (or Gudmundsson); David

Aston Villa: (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Luiz (or Tielemans); Diaby, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins