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Emery’s side miss out on reaching first European final since 1982, losing 6-2 on aggregate to Olympiacos
Aston Villa bowed out of the UEFA Europa Conference League losing the second leg of their semi-final 2-0 against Olympiacos, and 6-2 on aggregate.
Ayoub El Kaabi, who netted a hat-trick for Olympiacos in their incredible 4-2 first leg win at Villa Park last Thursday, proved their nemesis once more with two goals to extinguish Villa‘s dreams of reaching a first European final since 1982.
Olympiacos will now meet Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday 29 May in Athens.
How the match unfolded
Unai Emery was able to name Emiliano Martinez in goal, having served a one-match suspension for the first-leg defeat and then also missing Sunday’s Premier League loss at Brighton & Hove Albion through injury.
Martinez’s return was one of two changes to Villa’s XI from the Brighton match, with Matty Cash also replacing the injured Morgan Rogers in Greece.
Speaking before the match head coach Emery had described the tie as Villa’s “biggest challenge” this year, and that became even greater when El Kaabi swept home a cross from Wolverhampton Wanderers‘ loanee Daniel Podence to put Olympiacos 1-0 up after 10 minutes.
Villa, needing three goals to even take the tie to extra-time, continued to press their hosts and dominated the first half with 75 per cent possession.
Douglas Luiz could have celebrated his 26th birthday with a goal, but goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis was equal to his low effort after 26 minutes. The Brazilian then curled a free-kick over before Tzolakis made a flying save from Leon Bailey‘s vicious drive in first-half stoppage time.
Villa started the second half quickly, with Cash’s dangerous cross cleared behind by Vicente Iborra and Ezri Konsa heading over from Bailey’s corner.
But the hosts put the tie to bed with a second goal nine minutes from time when El Kaabi picked up a long clearance and fired beyond Martinez. A lengthy VAR review confirmed that he was onside, taking El Kaabi’s goal tally to 10 in the competition this season, half coming against Villa.
Villa will be looking for a positive response as they now turn their attention back to the Premier League and Monday night’s home match against Liverpool. A win for Villa would secure fourth spot and a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League irrespective of whether fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur beat Burnley on Saturday.