Olympiakos vs Aston Villa: Match Preview
Holding a 4-2 lead from last week’s first leg, Olympiakos will look to finish off Aston Villa in their UEFA Europa Conference League semifinal decider.
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Having had the weekend off, Olympiakos will be fully fresh for this pivotal semifinal match. The Greek side is partaking in their first European semifinal, at the 58th attempt. However, do not be misled: the Piraeus-based outfit has plenty of European pedigree within their squad.
Seeing that the final is in Athens, Olympiakos would virtually be playing a home game in the showpiece, should they progress. They did lose 4-1 at home in the last 16 to Maccabi Tel Aviv, but managed to turn things around in the return leg to prevail.
It is also worth noting that Greece is still chasing Denmark for 15th spot in UEFA’s five-year country ranking, with a second Champions League place on the line. A win on Thursday is required from Olympiakos to keep Greece in the running for that spot.
In what has been a fantastic season for Aston Villa, they have hit a wall of late. They have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, and somehow are still fourth in the Premier League. Defeat to a struggling Brighton on the weekend further highlights the Villans’ problems.
They are looking for their second continental final, 42 years on from their European Cup triumph. Fortunately for Unai Emery’s side, they have won an away game by a 4-1 score over AZ Alkmaar during the UECL’s group stage. A repeat result on Thursday would be enough to see them through.
Match Facts
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2024
Kickoff Time: 21:00 CET (15:00 ET/12:00 PT)
Location: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Predicted Lineups
Olympiakos: Tzolakis; Rodinei, Ndoj, Retsos, Ortega; Hezze; Iborra, Chiquinho; Masouras, Podence, El Kaabi
Aston Villa: Martinez; Konsa, Torres, Diego Carlos, Digne; Cash, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Bailey; Duran, Watkins
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Odds
| Olympiakos Win / To Advance | 3.60 / 1.28 |
| Draw | 4.00 |
| Aston Villa / To Advance | 1.90 / 3.50 |
| Both Teams Score Y/N | 1.50 / 2.50 |
| Over / Under 2.5 Goals | 1.50 / 2.50 |
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Prediction
Draw at 4.00, Olympiakos to advance at 1.28
Playing in Greece will not be easy at all for Villa. After all, West Ham found out the hard way during the Europa League group stage last fall, as they lost 2-1 to Olympiakos. With just two away wins in Europe this term, there is little reason to believe that Villa will pick up a third win in Piraeus. A draw can be expected, with Olympiakos progressing overall.
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Tips
Both teams to score at 1.50
As was the case in the first leg, we should expect to see both sides find the back of the net. Olympiakos has scored in all of their continental home games this term, while Villa has only failed to find the goal once in the UECL.
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Moreover, we should also consider that Villa will be attacking from the off, as they need at least two goals to stand a shot at progressing. As a result, we can expect an open game, with Olympiakos looking to hit their opponents on the counter. That worked well in the first leg, and if they can replicate that in the return match, they will march on to the final.
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