Aston Villa will face Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium, aiming to to overturn the deficit from the first leg to reach the final.
Olympiacos picked up a 4-2 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final first leg in England, and Aston Villa face a herculean challenge in the second leg now. Unai Emery’s men have a mountain to climb, and it remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly and get the job done.
Aston Villa have had a good season so far, and they are well-placed to secure UEFA Champions League qualification through league positions. However, they are heading into this game on the back of a three-match winless run in all competitions.
On the other hand, Olympiacos have picked up five wins and a draw from their last six matches in all competitions. The Greek outfit will be the firm favourites heading into the midweek contest, and it remains to be seen whether they can book their place in the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League with another victory in front of their own fans.
Team News & Tactics
Olympiacos
Olympiacos will be without Ruben Vezo, Gelson Martins, and Nelson Abbey. They are ineligible to compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season. On the injury front, Stevan Jovetic which is sidelined with a muscle injury.
The home team are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation here. Konstantinos Tzolakis will start in goal behind a back four of Rodinei, Panagiotis Retsos, Andreas Ndoj, and Francisco Ortega. Rodinei and Ortega will start as the full backs, and they will look to help out in the attack and protect the centre-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Santiago Hezze will start alongside Vicente Iborra in the double pivot, and the two players will look to shield the back four and break up opposition attacks.
Chiquinho will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to break the lines with his passing and vision. In the wide areas, Giorgos Masouras and Daniel Podence will look to add creativity and flair. Finally, Ayoub El Kaabi will lead the line for Olympiacos against Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Tzolakis; Rodinei, Ndoj, Restos, Ortega; Iborra, Hezze; Masouras, Chiquinho, Podence; El Kaabi
Aston Villa
The visitors will be without Emiliano Buendia, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings for the remainder of the season. Jacob Ramsey misses out with a toe injury, and Youri Tielemans has a muscle problem.
Aston Villa are likely to shape up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Martinez in goal. Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. The central defensive unit should feature Diego Carlos and Pau Torres.
Matty Cash and Leon Bailey will start in the wide areas, and they will look to protect the full backs and help out during counter-attacking opportunities. Douglas Luiz will start in the midfield alongside John McGinn.
The Brazilian will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side, while the Scottish international will add drive and creativity from the middle of the park. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa alongside Moussa Diaby.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Cash, Luiz, McGinn, Bailey; Diaby; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa are winless in three of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Olympiacos have five wins and a draw in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have conceded ten goals in the last five matches in all competitions.
- Olympiacos have conceded in each of their last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa might need to score at least three goals here, and they will have to depend on their star striker. Watkins has been in phenomenal form this season, and he has 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. He is our key player to watch out for.
The West Midlands club will need the English international to step up and influence the game in the final third with his goalscoring ability and creativity if they want to progress to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Prediction
Olympiacos 1-1 Aston Villa
The visitors are likely to put up a fight here, but they have been quite poor on their travels. Aston Villa have not scored more than once in five of their last six away matches in all competitions, and they will find it difficult to overturn the two goal deficit here.
The two teams are likely to put on a strong showing here, and they could cancel each other out in the end. A draw seems most likely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate, with Olympiacos reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League final at the expense of Aston Villa.
