Aston Villa secures a 2-1 victory in the first leg quarter-final of the UEFA Conference League against Lille, but remains cautious for the second leg.
Stood outside Villa Park’s home dressing room, the future King of England, William, Prince of Wales, captured the mood. “Two-nil would have been better,” said His Majesty, accompanied by his son, George. Aston Villa ’s 2-1 first leg quarter-final victory in the UEFA Conference League against Lille called for caution. Villa had taken a one-goal lead to France but were accepting in the knowledge the job was far from done.
This was treading new ground for this Villa vintage, yet the same themes emerged. It was a result defined by three set plays; a reminder of their creative excellence but also the vulnerabilities going the other way. The number 26 had been on Villa minds all week. It was 26 years since their last European quarter-final. For context, when they lost on away goals to Atletico Madrid on March 17, 1998, seven of the nine substitutes on Thursday had not been born and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” topped the charts. Advertisement “We should not give 100 per cent,” remarked Emery. “200 per cent of our attention is the minimum.” Attention to detail is a well-known trait of Emery and his coaching staff. Players admit to preparations being tedious yet rewarding, with the fruits of their labour often on display. Even amid a frenzied schedule, Emery tends to hold three separate video meetings before every game. One solely focused on the opposition, one on attacking patterns and concepts of play, and another on set plays
Aston Villa Victory UEFA Conference League Quarter-Final Lille Caution
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