Aston Villa reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League after a penalty shootout win against Lille in France. The match ended 2-1 to the home side after 120 minutes, which levelled the aggregate score at 3-3 following Villa's victory in the first leg. According to Sky Sports, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved two penalties in the shootout to secure a 4-3 win for the visitors.
The result means Unai Emery has led the club to a second continental semi-final in three seasons. This progress marks a significant shift since the club suffered relegation to the second tier of English football 10 years ago. Villa last reached this stage of a major European competition in 1982 when they won the European Cup, per The Guardian.
Matty Cash scored in the 87th minute to force extra time after Yusuf Yazici and Benjamin Andre put Lille ahead. Villa will face either Fenerbahce or Olympiakos in the next round, as reported by The Athletic.
