Aston Villa’s European campaign came to a disappointing close against Olympiacos, thanks to two goals from El Kaabi, sealing a 6-2 aggregate loss in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final.
A brace from Moroccan forward Ayoub El Kaabi cemented Olympiacos’ victory, dashing any hopes of a comeback for Unai Emery’s side. With their European aspirations extinguished, Aston Villa now shifts their focus to securing Champions League qualification as they face Liverpool in their upcoming match on Monday.
The Greek club dashed Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching their first European final since 1982, with Ayoub El Kaabi’s two goals securing a 2-0 victory in the second leg. The Greek side’s aggregate win saw them advance to the final.
The match began poorly for Aston Villa, conceding a goal within the first 10 minutes as El Kaabi capitalised on Quini’s assist. Despite dominating possession, Villa struggled to break through Olympiacos’ defence, with their best chance, a Leon Bailey strike, thwarted by a fine save.
After the interval, Villa continued to push forward, but their efforts were in vain. Olympiacos remained resilient, and El Kaabi sealed their victory with his second goal of the match late in the game.
Olympiacos’ achievement marks only the second time a Greek club has reached a European final, following Panathinaikos’ 1971 European Cup final appearance. Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s loss extends their losing streak to three matches for the first time since February 2023.