Yahoo News Jonathan David reveals Lille's plan to upset the odds and beat Aston Villa
Lille striker Jonathan David spoke to the media out in France ahead of their Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg against Aston Villa on Thursday.
The Canada international has scored 23 goals in all competitions so far this season, including eight in his last seven Ligue 1 games. Here's every word he said in the pre-match press conference at Lille's training centre, Domaine de Luchin...
Has the been extra emphasis on this game?
"I think as usually we prepare for this game in a big way. The team is tougher, but there is no difference to how we prepare for a normal game."
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How will you beat Villa?
"Like international game and European games, we know that we need to be perfect and we can’t make any mistakes. It is about the small details and we need to get ready for that and be prepared to score when we get around the box."
What did you make of Villa and what were you missing?
"We missed the equaliser after they scored early which changed the game a bit. We had three great chances to score in the first half. We know what Villa is a very good team. They are fourth at the moment which means something. They have physical and tactical impact across the field so we know it will be a tough game to play."
How did you rate your own performance?
"To be honest, I don’t think I had a good game. I lost a lot of balls and I had one shot once even if that was an opportunity. We need to be more astute and to score when we have those opportunities. We had a lot in the first game, so this time we need to make them count. That should be the main focus, to score and not miss the opportunities."
Will you play closer to goal rather than deeper like in the first leg?
"Well, that depends on the situation and the opponent and the tactics. Yes, sometimes I could play higher, but I think what I should do is use the depth a bit more."
You seem to be the only scorer at this level…
"There’s no pressure, I am a forward and it’s my job my score goals. My teammates often try to find me and that’s why I score the most in this team. I have very good teammates who can also score at any moment, so I’m not worried about that."
What is the difference to Premier League teams?
"The first thing, it is a lot more physical. The defenders try to grab me and prevented me from using the depth. It's linked to the way they play in England. I think they deserve to be mentioned as an excellent team of defenders - it was a tough game to me and I couldn't play like I wanted to."
Will you benefit from the break you've had?
"I think obviously the break will help, playing every three games is hard to recover. We are fresher now and ready to go physically speaking. I watched the game and it proves that Aston Villa is a team you shouldn’t underestimate. Even if Arenal had a couple of opportunities, the result shows that we will once face a big challenge tomorrow."
A few years ago Lille fans helped in the game against Chelsea - are you expecting a loud atmosphere?
"Absolutely, I think the play a major role and they always do. At the time, I remember we scored the first goal and it gives you a big boost and a lot of energy."
