In the penalty shootout, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez provoked the home fans. That earned him his second yellow card, but he avoided sending off.
Thursday 18 April at 22:32
The English visitors coped best with the pressure and took a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout. Overall, it ended 3–3 over two games.
Argentinian Martínez, who many remember from the penalty drama in the World Cup final, received a yellow card in the first half, and after the penalty shootout had started he received his second yellow for allegedly provoking the home fans.
He still escaped being sent off, since the card is erased before the penalty shootout.
That rule was new for football commentator in Viaplay, Petter Veland, who exclaimed that Martinez had now been sent off.
– You learn something new every day! Today I learned that yellow cards from normal time are canceled before a penalty shootout. Thanks to those who reported along the way, so we got the land pretty much on our feet. Then it had to be Emiliano Martínez who put that rule into practice, he signs X.
It was Lille’s captain Benjamin André who had to score the last penalty, but Martinez saved the attempt.
Lille led 2–0 and looked set to advance with a few minutes left in regular time. Then Matty Cash appeared and tapped in Villa’s cut from 20 yards. The shot went in via an opponent.
Up front, Lille clawed it until goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier collided with a teammate and lost the ball.
Earlier in the match, Yusuf Yazici scored with the inside of his left foot after 15 minutes, while André headed in 2–0 from a corner halfway into the second half.
Aston Villa’s promotion is an upturn for the Premier League in Europe. It came the day after both Manchester City and Arsenal disappeared from the Champions League quarter-finals.
Unai Emery could become the first manager to lead Aston Villa to a title since the Birmingham club won the League Cup in 1996.
There were also extra rounds in Italy when Fiorentina beat Czech Viktoria Plzen 2–0. Overall, it ended with the same figures.