VILLA PARK — Aston Villa fell flat on their biggest European night for decades and will now have to reach the Europa Conference League final the hard way after losing their home first leg to Olympiakos, who were inspired by Ayoub El Kaabi’s hat-trick on an evening of fine margins and tight calls.
A first European semi-final for 42 years did not go to plan whatsoever for Unai Emery’s side, and they must reverse this two-goal deficit in Athens next week if they are to return there for the final later this month.
Those chances were made slimmer by Douglas Luiz’s late penalty miss, meaning the best news for Villa all night came from west London as Chelsea beat Spurs.
Villa’s prospects of a first major trophy since 1996 have diminished, but their hopes of finishing fourth in the Premier League have been boosted. Silver linings, and all that, although this was ultimately a night of what-ifs on a stage that should be welcoming sterner opposition next season.
“There were mistakes all round tonight and we’ll take responsibility,” John McGinn told TNT Sports.
“We have a mountain to climb but we know we’re capable. The manager was still positive in there. There’s still a long way to go.”
Ollie Watkins bemoaned Villa’s lack of a big-team mentality last month, and though it is of little comfort currently, this difficult lesson could stand them in good stead should Villa make the Champions League.
Olympiakos are, after all, a team with regular European experience, and after almost coming unstuck against Lille perhaps this should be viewed as less of a surprise than it was. It could also prove useful for Villa’s players, many of whom were below par and made uncharacteristic mistakes but are slowly gaining big-game experience thanks to this competition.
56' – Douglas Luiz gives away a penalty, Olympiacos score.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 2, 2024
83' – Douglas Luiz MISSES a penalty.
It's been a second half to forget for Villa's midfielderpic.twitter.com/VQ2xSzfMd4
On Thursday night, Olympiakos simply rose to what felt like a grand occasion even 90 minutes before kick-off, when Villa supporters greeted their players off the bus, flares of near-enough claret and blue adding to and blurring the scene.
Closer to 8pm that special blend of hope and expectation lifted with the noise levels, and that was the case among the travelling Olympiakos fans, too, who were watching their side play a first-ever European semi-final – the closest they had previously come being a quarter-final in the 1999 Champions League.
Chasing their own history, Olympiakos started strongly, testing Robin Olsen early on before Leon Bailey had a goal chalked off down the other end when referee Marco Guida deemed Clement Lenglet to have fouled Vicente Iborra in the build-up.
It looked soft, and what followed was a moment that left Villa Park stunned. El Kaabi’s strike was initially given offside, and it looked to be the right call when seeing the first replay, but after a VAR check the striker was in fact onside by a hair’s breadth – or more specifically Matty Cash’s trailing leg.
With Villa looking panicky, the ever-animated Emery called for calm from the sidelines as his team repeatedly gifted possession back to the visitors, but it was about to get worse.
Again Villa lost the ball, and again it was El Kaabi, who latched onto Podence’s ball over the top by superbly heading it to Olsen’s right before sliding it under the stand-in goalkeeper.
Emery was apoplectic, and during a water break that soon followed both Luiz and Olsen felt the wrath of their manager, who was furiously dishing out instructions, while decisions made by referee Guida continued to frustrate the home support.
That was before Bailey went down in the area, with Guida’s waving away of the penalty appeal infuriating supporters, but soon the anger was followed by a roar, Watkins tucking away a fine effort to get Villa back in this tie.
Suddenly, the half-time whistle came when Villa didn’t want it, but having spent most of the half in shock the hosts were buoyed by Watkins’ injection of hope.
That impetus continued after the break, with Moussa Diaby catching out the goalkeeper at his near post to level, but that joy lasted for all of two minutes, with Luiz then punished for a handball inside the area when blocking Panagiotis Retsos’s header.
El Kaabi converted to complete his hat-trick, with Santiago Hezze’s deflected strike then restoring Olympiakos’ two-goal advantage. It was what the visitors deserved, and their fans then revelled in Luiz’s penalty hitting the post and going wide. A momentous night for Olympiakos, a first European final in their grasp.
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