New Delhi, Apr 12, 2024, IANS

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) Aston Villa edged past Lille 2-1 while Liverpool lost 3-0 to Atalanta and West Ham suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa Conference League quarterfinal first legs.

Villa, competing in their first major European last-eight tie for 26 years, will take a one-goal advantage into next week’s second leg in France.

Watkins headed home his 25th goal of the season in the 13th minute to send Villa Park into raptures, before Emi Martínez made three superb first-half saves to preserve the hosts’ lead.

And it was captain McGinn who doubled Villa’s tally shortly after half-time with a well-taken low finish from 20 yards.

Gabriel Gudmundsson subsequently saw his effort ruled out for offside by VAR, before Bafode Diakite nodded in an 84th-minute reply for the visitors.

Liverpool must mount a stirring second-leg comeback to progress in the Europa League after Atalanta won 3-0 in Thursday’s quarter-final first leg at Anfield.

Gianluca Scamacca struck in either half and Mario Pasalic slotted in a late third to give Atalanta a commanding advantage and end Liverpool's nine-match winning home run in the competition.

The Reds will travel to Italy next week with a significant deficit to overcome if they are to reach the last four.

In other match, late goals from Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface gave Leverkusen a deserved win just when it seemed West Ham would hold them to a goalless draw in Germany.

Goalkeeper Łukasz Fabianski frustrated the hosts as he denied Alex Grimaldo, Patrik Schick and Edmond Tapsoba but after Hofmann pounced seven minutes from the end, he then turned provider for his team-mate Boniface to head the clincher in stoppage time.