Why You Can Trust CNET Watch Europa Conference League Soccer: Livestream Lille vs. Aston Villa From Anywhere
Can the Premier League side get the job done at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy?
Aston Villa hold a narrow 2-1 lead as they head to northern France to take on Lille in the second leg of this Europa Conference League quarterfinal.
Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn gave Villa a flying start in the opening encounter. But Bafodé Diakité flicked in a header from Angel Gomes' cross with just six minutes remaining, earning Lille a potentially crucial goal going into this decisive second leg.
Lille have the advantage of having had a weekend off from domestic Ligue 1 action. Gomes, a former England Under-21 and Man United forward, is likely to have fully recovered from the hamstring injury that restricted him to a brief cameo in the first leg.
Villa boss Unai Emery's defensive selection options have been boosted by the return of Clément Lenglet and Matty Cash, meanwhile.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch every game live wherever you are in the world.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn scored his side's second goal in their 2-1 win over Lille in the first leg at Villa Park.
Lille vs. Aston Villa: When and where?
Lille host Aston Villa at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday, April 18. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CET local time in France, which is 12:45 p.m. ET or 9:45 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, 5:45 p.m. BST in the UK, and 2:45 a.m. AEST on Friday, April 19 in Australia.
How to watch Lille vs. Aston Villa online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view Europa Conference League matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the action -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 35% -- the equivalent of $8.32 a month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream Lille vs. Aston Villa in the US
American soccer fans can stream this fixture via Paramount Plus, which has exclusive live English-language broadcast rights in the US for the Europa Conference League.
Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $6 a month and Premium for $12 a month. Both offer coverage of the Europa Conference League.
The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount.
Livestream Lille vs. Aston Villa in the UK
Europa League live broadcast rights in the UK are held by TNT Sports.
TNT Sports is offering Europa Conference League matches exclusively live this season to viewers in the UK. You can access TNT Sports in exactly the same way as its predecessor BT Sport, including via Sky Q as a TV package, as well as the option of streaming online. It costs £30 either way and comes in a package that includes Discovery Plus' library of documentary content.
Livestream Lille vs. Aston Villa in Canada
If you want to stream Europa Conference League games live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the tournament this season.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$30 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to Champions League, Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream Lille vs. Aston Villa in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch Europa Conference League matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show the competition live in Australia this season.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$15 a month (on top of an AU$12 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to Champions League and Europa League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming Europa Conference League matches using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming Europa Conference League games may vary.
- If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
- If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.