The first leg of the 2025/26 Europa League round of 16 tie between Lille (France) and Aston Villa (England) will take place on 12 March at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Lille vs Aston Villa: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Lille
The French side made it through to the round of 16 with great difficulty, edging past Crvena Zvezda only after extra time, scoring two unanswered goals. They beat the Serbs away from home (1:0), having previously lost by the same score on their own patch. Interestingly, the club have reached this stage for the third season in a row; last year it was in the Champions League, and the season before that in the Europa Conference League. It is also worth noting that in four of Lille's last five Europa League matches the score was 1:0 in favour of one of the teams.
- At least one of the teams failed to score in six of the French side's previous seven matches in this European competition.
- Lille's all-or-nothing run in the Europa League stands at 14 matches (six wins and eight defeats).
- The club have not lost in 90 minutes in seven of their last 10 home games in this tournament (four wins and three draws).
Potential Lille Lineup (4-3-1-2)*
Berke Ozer – Romain Perraud, Nathan Ngoy, Tiago Santos, Aissa Mandi – Benjamin Andre, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Nabil Bentaleb – Hakon Arnar Haraldsson – Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Gaetan Perrin.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham club came through the league phase with ease and confidence, recording seven wins and just one defeat. That allowed them to finish in second place and go straight through to the round of 16. The club go into this match on the back of a five-game winning run in the Europa League. Like their opponents, Aston Villa have reached the spring phase of European competition for the third year in a row; last season they featured in the Champions League, and before that they were in the Europa Conference League.
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in five of the English side's last seven Europa League games.
- Aston Villa registered at least two goals in four of their last five matches in this tournament.
- The team have not lost the first half in seven of their previous eight matches in this European competition (four wins and three draws).
Potential Aston Villa Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Emiliano Martinez – Matty Cash, Ian Maatsen, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings – Amadou Onana, Douglas Luiz – Emiliano Buendia, Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey – Ollie Watkins.
Referee
Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez (Spain)
Matches – 10 (international fixtures, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 33;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 20%.
Lille vs Aston Villa: Match Prediction
Both teams could qualify for the Champions League this season via their domestic competitions. However, there is also a chance of missing out on the top four, so it is clear that both clubs will be targeting Europa League glory, which would secure a place in the league phase of Europe's elite tournament. The teams can be considered fairly evenly matched in terms of quality, so it is not all that easy to pick a winner in this two-legged tie. We expect both teams to get on the scoresheet in the first leg.
The French side failed to score at home in the previous round. However, before that they had found the net in nine straight home matches in the Europa League. At the same time, Lille have conceded in nine of their last 11 games in this tournament. Aston Villa are playing in this competition for the first time, but they have scored in all eight matches. In addition, both teams scored in three of the Birmingham side's last four Europa League games.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes
* For each team, the starting line-up from their last match is shown.
