Ollie Watkins goal earns Aston Villa win at Lille, Bologna and Roma draw
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Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring the winning goal six minutes into the second half of their match against Lille.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Aston Villa beat Lille 1-0 with Ollie Watkins scoring his first European goal, giving Villa the lead for the second leg.
- Bologna and AS Roma drew 1-1; Federico Bernardeschi scored for Bologna, and Lorenzo Pellegrini equalised for Roma.
- Porto defeated VfB Stuttgart 2-1, and Panathinaikos edged Real Betis after a late penalty, despite playing with 10 men.
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VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France - Aston Villa came away from Lille with a 1-0 win thanks to Ollie Watkins’ goal in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on March 12, while Bologna and AS Roma played out a 1-1 draw in the all-Italian clash.
Porto won 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos beat Real Betis thanks to a late penalty after playing the final half hour with 10 men.
Watkins netted his first European goal of the season and Villa take a slender lead back home for the March 19 second leg.
The only shot on target in a cagey opening half came late on with Romain Perraud’s effort from distance which Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez failed to hold, but defender Pau Torres was there to clear before Lille could take advantage.
Moments earlier Villa had another escape when Lille striker Olivier Giroud was unable to direct his glancing header goalwards from close range.
Villa took the lead six minutes into the second half when Ezri Konsa sent a long ball forward which Emiliano Buendia headed on for Watkins to send a looping header over the keeper.
Amadou Onana hit a curling shot from outside the area which clipped the top of the upright as Villa pushed for a second, with Martinez making a save at the other end from Matias Fernandez-Pardo.
Ollie Watkins sent a looping header over the Lille goalkeeper to score the winner for Aston Villa.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Italian draw
In Italy, Bologna went in front five minutes after the break when Jonathan Rowe made a mazy run into the box before laying the ball off to Federico Bernardeschi who whipped a first-time shot in off the far post.
Donyell Malen hit the post for Roma minutes later, and it was his poked pass which set up Lorenzo Pellegrini for the 71st-minute equaliser, with the substitute firing into an empty net.
Malen had a deflected shot come off the post and Roma’s Martin Vitik saw a header from a free kick hit the crossbar as neither side could find a winner.
Porto took the lead through Terem Moffi in the 21st minute, Moffi playing a neat one-two with Borja Sainz before rifling his shot into the corner of the net.
Six minutes later 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora doubled the lead, leaping to volley home Zaidu Sanusi’s cross from the left.
Rodrigo Mora (right) celebrates scoring the winning goal for Porto.
PHOTO: AFP
Stuttgart pulled one back five minutes from the break, Deniz Undav capitalising on a deflected pass with a half-volleyed shot on the turn.
Angelo Stiller thought he had levelled for the hosts with 20 minutes left but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Panathinaikos went down to 10 men with Anass Zaroury picking up a second yellow card and their keeper Alban Lafont kept Betis at bay with a number of fine saves before the hosts netted the winner with two minutes left.
Diego Llorente was sent off after earning a second booking for a foul on Karol Swiderski and Vicente Taborda made no mistake from the penalty spot. REUTERS
