After Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all failed to win in the Champions League, Villa showed their domestic rivals how to get the job done with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph in the first leg of their last-16 tie in Europe's second-tier competition on Thursday (Friday AEDT).
Olivier Giroud went close for Lille with a first-half effort that went wide, before Emi Martinez denied Romain Perraud, but Watkins settled the contest with a smart header, which proved enough to earn Unai Emery's men a narrow first-leg lead.
It was a different story for Nottingham Forest after they suffered the familiar feeling of defeat to Midtjylland, who claimed a 1-0 victory at the City Ground after they had taken the points in October by a 3-2 score.
Cho Gue-sung proved the match-winner, with an 80th-minute header enough to give the Danish outfit a significant advantage before next week's second leg.
Forest created a number of chances under new boss Vitor Pereira, but Midtjylland stopper Elias Rafn Olafsson stood tall to shut out the home side, who are winless in five games.
The all-Italian clash between Bologna and Roma ended in a 1-1 draw in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Federico Bernardeschi put hosts Bologna ahead at the start of the second half, but Lorenzo Pellegrini struck 19 minutes from time to secure a draw for Roma.
Robbie Keane watched Gabi Kanichowsky and Lenny Joseph score to help Ferencvaros clinch a 2-0 win over Braga in Budapest.
Porto claimed an impressive 2-1 triumph at Stuttgart after first-half goals by Terem Moffi and Rodrigo Mora, before Deniz Undav reduced the deficit in the 40th minute.
Vicente Taborda's late spot-kick earned Panathinaikos a slender advantage over Real Betis after a 1-0 win at home.
Zakaria El Ouahdi's 24th-minute goal earned Genk a 1-0 home win over Freiburg, while Endrick netted with three minutes left to earn Lyon a 1-1 draw away to Celta Vigo.
In the third-tier Conference League, Crystal Palace were held 0-0 in London by AEK Larnaca.
- with AP
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