Olympiacos reached their first ever major European final, and became only the second Greek side to qualify for such a match, as Ayoub El Kaabi’s 10th and 78th-minute goals secured a 2-0 win on the night and 6-2 aggregate victory over Aston Villa in Athens.
They won’t have far to travel for the showpiece occasion on Wednesday 29th May, either, as they and Italian outfit Fiorentina will face-off at city rivals AEK Athens’ AEK Arena for the chance to lift the Europa Conference League trophy.
His double saw Morocco international El Kaabi, who struck a hat-trick in last Thursday’s surprise 4-2 first-leg win at Villa Park and now has 32 club goals in all competitions in 2023/24, take his tally in European competition this term to 13. Impressively, that’s more than anyone else across the three men’s competitions.
Olympiacos manager José Luis Mendilibar – who won last season’s Europa League with Sevilla – only took over the Erythroleykoi in February, becoming their fourth manager of the campaign, making this feat all the more notable.
The 63-year-old Spaniard is steadily developing quite the reputation in continental contexts.
That feels particularly true given this tie saw him overcome a fellow countryman, in Unai Emery, who has established himself as one of the most respected bosses around in recent times – largely through his own exploits in European competition.
His Villa side were never truly given a sniff of a comeback. They’ll be disappointed at the hesitance of some of their own play, but this was a game and tie that was superbly managed by Olympiacos.
Panathinaikos, who were beaten 2-0 by Ajax at Wembley in the 1971 European Cup final, are the only previous Greek football club to have reached a major men's European final – another measure of the significance of this achievement by Mendilibar and co.
Their opponents at the end of this month, Fiorentina, were beaten by West Ham United in last season’s final, so will be additionally keen to pick up the silverware this time around. It feels difficult to escape the notion, though, that Olympiacos will take some beating in their home city.
Villa were many people’s favourites to win this competition and secure their first major continental prize since their 1982 European Cup success. This exit represents a considerable disappointment, but their campaign still looks likely to end with the immense success of securing Champions League football.
As it stands, three points are needed from their remaining two Premier League matches to guarantee they beat Tottenham Hotspur to fourth place.
Particularly considering the injury-hit campaign they have endured, with each of Emiliano Buendía, Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara suffering ACL injuries, that would be a brilliant – potentially game-changing – achievement for the club who were the last remaining English side in European competition this term.
-
Story of the match
Emery made three changes to the Villa team that lost 4-2 in last week’s Villa Park first leg as Robin Olsen, Clément Lenglet and the injured Morgan Rogers made way for Emiliano Martínez, Diego Carlos and Pau Torres.
Mendilibar, meanwhile, made just the one alteration as Quini came in for left-back Francisco Ortega, who came off with a knock at half-time in Birmingham last week.
And it was Quini who neatly laid on the 10th-minute opener for the hosts. After Daniel Podence found his overlapping run on the left, the Spanish defender’s precise low cross was sidefooted home by El Kaabi at the far post.
Villa – playing a back three in possession that regularly allowed Matty Cash and Lucas Digne to flank a front five led by Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby – enjoyed the vast majority of possession either side of that early blow, but Olympiacos sprung with real menace when they got the chance.
Chiquinho had shot wide prior to the goal when he latched onto a flick from an early throw-in, while Kostas Fortounis’ 37th-minute effort from range was well gathered by Martínez.
Emery’s side were probing with familiar patience but little incision.
Douglas Luiz saw an attempt from distance competently kept out by home goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, before the visitors’ first genuine opening saw the Greek stopper sharply deny Diaby from close range.
That was followed by referee Felix Zwayer pulling the play back to award a Villa free-kick on the edge of the box, where Rodinei earned himself a booking for a heavy challenge on Bailey.
After the Jamaican received prolonged treatment and regained his feet, Luiz floated the subsequent set-piece over the bar. There was a sense, though, that the Premier League side were making slightly more headway.
A 41st-minute Bailey delivery ought to have been converted by Cash at the far post, but the Poland international arrived a split second too late to make contact.
Bailey was leading the charge again in first-half stoppage time when his powerful 25-yard drive was helped over by Tzolakis, which ensured the three-goal aggregate lead was retained at the interval.
The hosts pressed with more aggression in the minutes after the restart, with their compact 4-4-2 morphing into a proactive 4-2-4 in an attempt to curb Villa’s build-up.
They did so with some success, although there was now that bit more space higher up the pitch if Emery’s team could plot a path through.
Ultimately, though, they weren’t able to enough – even if Watkins heading a Bailey cross onto the roof of the net, and substitute Jhon Durán seeing a low effort saved, offered hints of promise.
The clock increasingly ticked in favour of the Greek Super League club, who could have extended their advantage further shortly before the hour mark, had El Kaabi weighted a square pass slightly better after Podence led a break and slid the forward in-behind.
Their lead on the night was indeed doubled a little under 20 minutes later, though, when El Kaabi timed his run just right to latch onto Tzolakis’ clearance and race through on goal.
His composed left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner was followed by an offside flag but a subsequent VAR check led to the goal being awarded.
A sucker punch was always a risk, and it had arrived to all but finish the tie.
Watkins saw a stoppage-time diving header palmed over well by Tzolakis but that was, tellingly, about as close as the West Midlanders came to striking on the night.
-
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: AYOUB EL KAABI
Two more goals tonight, five across the tie, 13 in Europe this term (15 when including qualifying).
That he leads the continental scoring charts – particularly considering the other clubs and players involved across this competition, the Europa League and Champions League – is a glowing reflection of the 30-year-old’s work this season.
It was, at times, a thankless task, given Olympiacos only had 26% possession. He led the line with authority and intelligence, though.
His goals came courtesy of two cleverly timed pieces of movement and efficiently executed finishes – one with either foot.
An impressively rounded striker whose name will surely become considerably more widely known if he maintains such levels.
