Europa League 2025-26: Aston Villa beat Feyenoord, Lille edge past Roma

Aston Villa continued their impressive UEFA Europa League campaign with a comprehensive 2-0 win away to Feyenoord on Thursday night. Second-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and John McGinn helped Villa secure all three points at Feyenoord Stadium. Unai Emery's side now have six points to their name from two matches in the tournament. 

Villa were forced into a change before kick-off, with Marco Bizot replacing keeper Emiliano Martinez, and the late call-up had a busy night in Rotterdam. The 34-year-old twice denied Anis Hadj Moussa and pulled off a briliant save from Luciano Valente. Meanwhile, Villa defender Ian Maatsen made a goal-line clearance to deny Stem Steijn. 

Villa's best chance of the match came five minutes into the second-half when Evaan Guessand's first-time effort from Maatsen's cut back struck the woodwork. The visitors looked more threatening after the break and deservedly broke the deadlock in the 61st-minute. 

Boubacar Kamara laid the ball to Buendia just outside the box, and the Argentine midfielder took one touch before unleashing a right-footed curler into the bottom corner. Emery's side doubled the lead 18 minutes later. Donyell Malen made a darting run from the centre of the pitch to the box, lost the possession but McGinn was there to pounce and slot home. 

Roma 0-1 Lille

In the first ever competitive meeting between AS Roma and Lille, the latter came out on top thanks to Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's lone goal inside the opeing six minutes. Meanwhile goalkeeper Berke Ozer saved three consecutive penalties to help the French side earn three away-points at Stadio Olimpico.

Haraldsson capitalised on an early Roma error to fire home from inside the area. Meanwhile the home side's best chance came in the 34th-minute when a series of attempts were repelled by Lille's stubborn defence before Neil El Aynaoui's strike was cleared off the line by Aissa Mandi. 

Roma was give a golden chance to equalise in the later stage when Mandi handled the ball inside the area and the refree pointed to the spot after VAR intervention. But Artem Dovbyk's penalty was saved by Ozer. 

Drama followed as the visiting goalkeeper was judged to have moved off his line, only for Dovbyk's second attempt to be stopped as well, but with the Turkish gloveman stepping forward too early. 

A third effort was then entrusted to Matias Soule, yet incredibly, Ozer kept his cool to keep the score 1-0 in favor of his side. Lille went on to register their second successive European win of the campaign and now have six points to their name from two outings.