John McGinn singled out Jadon Sancho as Aston Villa’s “man of the match by a mile” after their convincing 2-0 victory over Lille in the Europa League round of 16 second leg.
Despite a challenging spell this season on loan from Manchester United under Unai Emery, Sancho played a pivotal role on Thursday night. He assisted McGinn’s opening goal just before the hour mark, breaking the deadlock, and came close to scoring himself when he struck the post.
Later in the match, Ollie Watkins laid on a crucial assist for Leon Bailey, who doubled Villa’s lead to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
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Reflecting on the game with TNT, McGinn admitted the first half was slow for both the team and himself as he worked to regain match fitness. “It wasn’t a pretty performance but the main thing is we are in the quarter-final,” he said.
On Sancho’s impact, McGinn added, “It was his best performance in a Villa shirt. He was man of the match tonight by a mile.” He also revealed a bit of pre-match banter with the manager, who encouraged him to get into the box to capitalize on Sancho’s creativity.
McGinn credited a tactical tweak after halftime for breaking down Lille’s solid defense. “We went more direct in the second half, the manager tweaked it and it paid dividends,” he said.
Looking ahead, McGinn shared his personal ambitions, saying he aims to reach a 10-goal seasonal target for the forwards, hoping to relieve some pressure off Ollie Watkins.
On his return from a knee injury, McGinn stressed the importance of proper rehabilitation. “It’s tough when the team isn’t doing well and you’re stuck in the physio room. I made sure to do my rehab properly this time, avoiding past mistakes of cutting corners,” he explained.