Aston Villa vs Olympiakos: UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-Finals Preview

 Aston Villa vs Olympiakos: 
UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-Finals Preview


By Stephen Kountourou



UEFA Conference League Semi-Final First Leg: 02/05/24

Kick-off Time: 22:00 Greek Time

Venue: Villa Park

Where to Watch: Cosmote Sport 2 HD


It's Crunch time. The tale end. The last innings. In short, Olympiakos find themselves entering the month of May still fighting on all fronts. While it is an unlikely dream, Thrylos can be crowned Super League champions if they win their last three matches of the season with no slip-ups. 

In Europe, the Piraeus side is two matches away from potentially the first final in the club's nearly 100-year history. But getting there is not simple. 

Premier League side Aston Villa stands in the way of the Piraeus side and the final at the Agia Sofia Stadium in Athens. Jose Luis Mendilibar and Unai Emery, two former European winning managers will clash to see whose team reaches the promised land. 

With the first leg in Birmingham looming, May could be the biggest month in the history of Olympiakos. 


Last time in the UEFA Conference League

Olympiakos

After narrowly defeating Fenerbahce in Piraeus 3-2, Olympiakos took their slim lead to Turkey to qualify for the club's first European semi-finals. They did so, of course, in the most dramatic fashion possible.

Upon entering an expectedly hostile atmosphere, Thrylos conceded early after poor defending saw Iran Kahveci make it 1-0 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate, levelling the tie. 

The impending onslaught, however, never came. Both sides seemed unwilling to take the chance to find a winner for fear of conceding from the counter. 

The match went to extra time, with the game becoming more open and legs tiring. The biggest chances for Olympiakos came with Vincente Iborra hitting the post from a corner kick and Giogios Masouras squandering a golden opportunity one-on-one with the keeper. 

Despite Thrylos going down to ten men, with Andreas Ndoj shown a straight red card, penalties beckoned. 

Tzolakis, the golden child of the Olympiakos academy, who had been banging on the door of the starting role between the sticks, showed why Jose Mendilibar had finally given him that chance. 

Dusan Tadic, Cengiz Ünder and Leonardo Bonucci failed to score their penalties thanks to the heroics of the Greek under-21s captain.

The silence in the ground from the Fenerbahce supporters was music to Olympiakos supporter's ears as their team celebrated the monumental achievement of qualification to the Conference League Semi-Finals.


Aston Villa

The Villans also had to qualify through difficult means, to reach their first Semi-Finals in Europe since 1982. In fact, the whole tie for Villa almost mirrored that of Olympiakos’ situation.

After winning the first leg 2-1 at Villa Park, Unai Emery’s men travelled to France with their slim lead. In the first 15 minutes, Lille levelled the tie through a goal from Yusuf Yazici. 

With just over 20 minutes left to go Villa were shocked by a goal from Benjamin Andre who put the home side 3-2 up on aggregate, meaning that the Premier League side was on the verge of exiting the Conference League altogether.  

They were saved, however, by a late goal from Matty Cash to send the game to extra time and with no side able to find a winner in active play, it went to penalties. 

Emi Martinez, just as he had done for Argentina in the World Cup final, was also the hero on the night as he helped his club win the shootout and qualify for the Semi-Finals of the Conference League.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper saw his red card rescinded due to the rules stating that a player who receives a second yellow card in a penalty shoot-out cannot be sent off. He will miss the first against Olympiakos at Villa Park.


Interview with Jacob Tanswell


I had the pleasure of chatting with Aston Villa writer for The Athletic, Jacob Tanswell about the upcoming game. 


What is the media and fan perception of Olympiakos going into this match?

Aston Villa know it will be a hugely difficult match, especially with their own Premier League schedule, where they are focusing on qualifying for the top four and a Champions League place. The perception is that Villa, at their best, should win the competition, but Europe has been sticky and has not played their best football. The second leg away will be especially tough and the biggest challenge.


How do think Villa will approach the first leg in Villa Park before heading to Piraeus next week?

Villa need to take a lead - you saw how important that was after the first leg against Lille and what happened after. They will be on the front foot, wanting a fast start and knowing they have something to protect in Piraeus next week.


Which key Aston Villa players should Olympiakos watch out for?

Ollie Watkins is obviously the key, with his goalscoring numbers and assists off the charts this year. Leon Bailey has been struggling with a knee injury, but has become so important and has proved an excellent assistant to Watkins. Their pace on transition could cause Olympiakos problems.


What do you believe is the priority for Villa and Unai Emery, winning the Conference League or securing Champions League football for next season?

Both! Emery never looks for excuses and wants to win both, especially with his pedigree in Europe. Villa are three games away from Conference League silverware and are edging closer to a top-four spot, so Emery believes both can be the priority and manageable in the final month of the season.


Can Thrylos dream bigger?

A strange thing to reference. But the post made by Maccabi Haifa, after they embarrassed Olympiakos in the Champions League qualifiers, “dream bigger”, in reference to one of the club's favourite phrases, “we keep on dreaming”, was a hugely damning statement. 

Fast forward to the present day, that mocking jest could be flipped on its head, because maybe now, Olympiakos supporters CAN dream bigger. 

To be on the precipice of a major European final, in Athens no less, for the first time in the club's near century of existence is a huge achievement, even if the journey ended here against the favourites for the whole tournament. 

In some ways, this is the perfect position for Olympiakos to be in. Underdogs, underestimated, and very much the ranked outsiders to win the Conference League. This is exactly what could help Mendilibar and his players cause an almighty upset.    


Hellas Football

@SteveKountourou

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