Aston Villa preparing to face long-time nemesis in Lille rematch
Veteran Lille striker Olivier Giroud will aim to be Villa’s nemesis once more on Thursday night by continuing an impressive scoring record against them.
The Premier League club have been the French World Cup winner’s favourite opponent during a career spanning more than two decades and has seen him score more than 340 goals for club and country.
Ten of those have been against Villa, with Giroud scoring in each of his last eight appearances against them, the most recent being for Chelsea in a 2-1 victory at Villa Park in June, 2020.
The 39-year-old, France’s all-time top international goalscorer, returned to his homeland last summer following a year in the MLS with Los Angeles FC.
He has scored nine goals in 32 appearances for Lille this season, including a crucial strike in their Europa League play-off round win over Red Star Belgrade.
After missing last weekend’s league match with a minor injury, he has been declared fit for Thursday’s last-16 first leg tie with Villa, as the French club target revenge for their Conference League quarter-final defeat to Unai Emery’s men two years ago.
Giroud’s history with Villa would have panned out very differently had he accepted strong overtures to join them in January, 2020.
With then record signing Wesley Moraes lost to serious injury, Villa chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch pushed to convince Giroud, then struggling for game time at Chelsea, to join on loan and aid their battle for Premier League survival.
The striker turned the advances down. Villa signed Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta instead.
Giroud is one of several new faces in the Lille team which faced Villa in 2024.
Nabil Bentaleb, one of two players who saw their spot-kicks saved in the decisive penalty shoot-out, is among those who remain.
Speaking on Wednesday about the rematch, the midfielder said: "Inevitably, it brings to mind something special, but now the two teams are very different.
“It's shaping up to be a great match. We have a different squad, a different coach, we've evolved, and so have they.
“Two years ago, we were in the Conference League; this year, we're a step above.
"It's a team with a very good coach, well organized, capable of bringing a lot of intensity, and which, for a few years now, has been fighting for European qualification every year—it's strong in the Premier League. It's an experienced team, we'll need to be ready, and we will be."
