Aston Villa will be pleased to take a narrow advantage with them to LOSC Lille in the Europa Conference League second leg, with a host of Unai Emery’s players impressing in the 2-1 victory at Villa Park.
Villa Park rose to the occasion on Thursday night, as Aston Villa recorded a 2-1 victory over LOSC Lille in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final.
Unai Emery will be relieved to see his side take a win to the second leg however, he will have an underlying disappointment that his squad couldn’t take a greater lead from their efforts at Villa Park.
While Villa had many opportunities to extend their lead, the first leg ended with just one goal separating the sides, as Bafode Diakite netted a late streak of hope for Lille.
It was Ollie Watkins and John McGinn who were responsible for the hosts’ two goals however, there was another performer that caught the eye of many on the night of the first leg.
Morgan Rogers was impressive once again for Aston Villa against Lille
While the goalscorers will rightly earn the majority of the praise, it was another strong night for Morgan Rogers in claret and blue, as the Englishman played a vital part in the fixture.
Signed from Middlesbrough in January, the 21-year-old seems to have fit seamlessly into Emery’s side, with his performance on the European stage on Thursday night seeing him lauded as “remarkable” by journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray.
Taking to Twitter X during the game, the ESPN figure was full of praise for Rogers’ impact.
“We really got a quality player in Morgan Rogers.”
“His ability to go from Championship football to the Premier League and now starting in a QF of European competition is remarkable. Extremely high ceiling.”
Echegaray’s praise for the starlet was warranted by his performance on the left side of midfield, with journalist John Townley describing Rogers as a “big problem” for Lille’s defence, via BirminghamLive.
The numbers show how good Morgan Rogers was against Lille
It was another mature and rounded display from the former Championship whiz, who showed his quality when in possession, driving the ball into positive areas when given the chance.
Rogers’ ability to carry the ball has made him a favourable figure for Emery to select in recent weeks, with the youngster completing 100% of his attempted dribbles against Lille on Thursday, via Sofascore.
The England U21 ace’s impressive numbers didn’t stop there, as he impressed in all areas of the pitch, making one key pass, two tackles, two clearances and winning three ground duels.
It’s perfect timing for Rogers to show his worth to the manager, with him now expected to continue to earn crucial game time given the current absence of Jacob Ramsey.
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