Thursday brings another action-packed evening of football from across Europe with some of the continent’s top teams and players in action. Chelsea host Tottenham in the English Premier League from 19:30 GMT as the visitors aim to win and enhance their claims on a top-four finish. There’s also Europa League and Conference League semi-finals as the remaining times tackle the first leg.
The game that caught our eye is from Villa Park, England, where Aston Villa hosts Olympiakos in the Conference League. Aston Villa finds itself in the unique position of being the last remaining English team in Europe this season, and they’ll be eager to fly the flag with pride on Thursday before a bumper audience. West Ham won this trophy last year; could Villa do the same and end their European drought? Keep reading as we preview the Aston Villa vs Olympiakos game and offer our predictions.
Villa Enjoy Home Advantage
Aston Villa enjoys home advantage for this huge game against Olympiakos. It’s the first leg, and Villa fans know their best chance of going through to the final comes from winning in England. The teams meet for the first time, meaning followers enjoy a little piece of sporting history and a crucial 90 minutes. Will the locals get the win needed and take an aggregate advantage into the second leg?
Aston Villa were last in action on Saturday when being held to a four-goal draw by Chelsea at this venue. It was a game they had chances to win and needed all three points as they bid to hold off Spurs and finish fourth, qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Villa raced into a two-goal lead in that game before conceding two in less than 20 minutes, snatching a point from the jaws of three.
Olympiakos Beat Fenerbahce
Olympiakos have surprised a few by making it to the last four of this competition, and there’s no reason now why they can’t go and win the trophy. If the visitors can secure a favourable result in England, they’ll have a real chance of going through to the final. A win or draw would give Olympiakos the advantage, but a narrow defeat would also keep them in the tie. A solid defence is the key to success at Villa Park.
Olympiakos knows they must improve on their defensive showing in the previous game when they needed extra time and penalties to see off a determined Fenerbahce team that pushed them all the way. That tie ended 3-3 on aggregate after the Turks won 1-0 at home in the second leg. The teams were stuck at 3-3 until spot-kicks when Olympiakos went through courtesy of a 3-2 tally.
Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction
The Europa Conference League is a fascinating competition as it’s extremely competitive, and we’re able to make a strong case for any one of the remaining four teams lifting the trophy. West Ham won it last year, and that offers encouragement to Aston Villa fans who want to see their team win at home and ensure they progress to the final. If Villa is at their best, they should have enough class to get the victory on Thursday,
Olympiakos may be the underdogs here, but they’re not in the last four simply to make up the numbers. They’ll arrive at Villa Park confident they have what it takes to match their opponents from the English Premier League. Will they win? They proved their fighting spirit in the quarter-finals, and we expect more of the same from the visitors.
Conference League Odds
22Bet members can make predictions on the result of Thursday’s game or the winner of the tie. There’s also Europa Conference League outright betting odds available. Enjoy the match-winner betting or choose from a long list of specials, including both teams to score, handicap, and total goals.
Do you fancy Aston Villa to make home advantage count and claim a first-leg win? You can back the English side for victory at 1.41. If you prefer the chances of Olympiakos, you can back them for the away win at 7.09 or play the draw at 4.60.
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