In a night of high drama, Aston Villa etched their name into European football history by reaching their first European semi-final since 1982.
Against the formidable Lille, Aston Villa battled against the odds, overcoming adversity to secure a spot in the last four of the Europa Conference League in the most dramatic of styles.
Unai Emery’s men faced an uphill struggle throughout much of the encounter, with Lille posing a strong challenge. The tension mounted as the match unfolded, with Villa’s fate hanging in the balance. Despite the challenges, Villa showcased resilience and determination, refusing to bow out without a fight.
The match took a dramatic turn as Yusuf Yazici leveled the aggregate score for Lille after a quarter of an hour, adding to Villa’s woes. The Ligue 1 outfit continued to press forward, and Benjamin Andre’s second-half goal from a set-piece seemed to seal Villa’s fate, putting Lille 2-0 up and leaving Villa on the brink of elimination.
However, Villa refused to surrender. With just three minutes left on the clock, Matty Cash seized an opportunity, capitalising on a goalkeeper error to level the tie and breathe new life into Villa’s European aspirations. The late equaliser sent the match into extra time, intensifying the already gripping spectacle.
Lille vs Aston Villa: Extra time drama involving Emi Martinez
Extra time saw nerves stretched to the limit as both teams battled for supremacy, but neither could break the deadlock. With the tension palpable and the stakes higher than ever, the match was ultimately decided by the drama of a penalty shootout.
In a heart-stopping shootout, Villa emerged triumphant, prevailing 4-3 on penalties, with Emiliano Martinez emerging as the hero of the hour. The Argentine goalkeeper produced a crucial save for the decisive spot-kick, sealing Villa’s passage to the semi-finals in dramatic fashion, but many thought Martinez shouldn’t have been allowed to stay on the pitch.
A little-known law in the UEFA rulebooks came into play, allowing Martinez to avoid being sent off despite being booked twice during the match. Despite receiving a second yellow card during the penalty shootout for engaging with antagonistic Lille fans, Martinez remained on the pitch, thanks to the rule that yellow cards received during the match do not carry over into a penalty shootout and are automatically reset.
Aston Villa fans react to Martinez’s heroics in the penalty shootout
@tomronan90: Dibu! Build the statue now! He’s OUR world number 1!
@RH_AVFC: @emimartinezz1 needs a statue!
@kaybeetweetz: Emi Martinez the worlds number 1.
@Pajosmashup: best keeper in the world.