Conference League
Aston Villa has reached the semi-finals of a European Cup competition for the first time in 42 years. The traditional English club beat OSC Lille 4-3 on penalties in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League on Thursday and was promoted to the top four. Matty Cash scored late to make it 1-2 from Villa’s point of view, and goalie Emiliano Martinez finally became the big hero in the shoot-out.
18.04.2024 22.00
Online since today, 10 p.m. (Update: 10:13 p.m.)
Martinez, one of the fathers of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup title, saved Nabil Bentaleb and Benhamin Andre’s attempts in the penalty shootout and thus the ticket to the semi-finals. Martinez’s opposite number Lucas Chevalier parried Leon Baily’s attempt, but had to let Douglas Luiz’s decisive penalty pass.
Until the 87th minute, Lille had the card for the semi-finals in hand after Yusuf Yazici (15th) and Andre (67th) had supposedly shot the French into the next round after the 1-2 defeat in the first leg. In the 87th minute, Cash equalized the score to the dismay of the Lille fans. After goalless extra time, the decision had to come from the penalty spot, where Villa had the better end.
Cash scores to make it 1:2
The Polish team player with English roots tore Lille out of their promotion dreams shortly before the end.
This marks the end of a long dry spell at European level for Aston Villa. The Birmingham club was last in the top four in the then Master Cup in 1982. At that time, Villa also won its only European title to date. In the final in Rotterdam, the English beat Bayern Munich 1-0. Apart from victories in the non-European Intertoto Cup in 2001 and 2008, the quarter-finals in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup were the highest of emotions to date.
Full-length penalty shootout
In a dramatic penalty shootout, Aston Villa came out on top.
Fiorentina strikes in extra time
AC Fiorentina is also in the semi-finals after overtime. The Italians beat Viktoria Plzen 2-0 in extra time after a goalless 90 minutes and advanced to the next round after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. Nicolas Gonzalez broke the spell in the second minute of extra time, Cristiano Biraghi sealed the Czechs’ exit in the 108th minute.
Europa Conference League, quarterfinals
Thursday:
OSC Lille – Aston Villa 3:4 i. E. (2:1 n. V., 2:1, 1:0)
Lille
Goals: Yazici (15th), Andre (68th) and Cash (87th)
First leg 1:2 – Aston Villa after penalty shootout in the semi-final.
AC Fiorentina – Viktoria Pilsen 2:0 n. V. (0:0, 0:0)
Florence
Tore: Gonzalez (92.), Biraghi (108.)
First leg: 0-0 – Fiorentina with an aggregate score of 2-0 in the semifinals.
This article accompanies the broadcast “UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg: OSC Lille – Aston Villa”, ORF1, April 18, 2024
