The three major UEFA club competitions return to our screens this midweek. The Champions League will be on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Europa League and Conference League will take over on Thursday. There’s plenty for football fans to enjoy, with the best games live on television and the most in-depth previews available on our site.
In this article, we shine the spotlight on a massive game from the Europa Conference League between Greece and England. Olympiakos enjoy the home advantage over Premier League outfit Aston Villa in a second leg you can follow live on television from 20:00 GMT. The hosts have one foot in the final thanks to an impressive 4-2 advantage. Will they hold on to progress, or will Villa stage a smash-and-grab on the prize?
Hosts Almost There
When drawn with Aston Villa, Olympiakos knew just how important the first leg would be in Birmingham at Villa Park. The Greeks understood the importance of avoiding a heavy defeat in the United Kingdom and wanted to ensure the tie was alive heading into this second leg. It was mission accomplished, with Olympiakos gaining an impressive and fully deserved victory at the home of their rivals, winning 4-2 last Thursday. They now boast a two-goal lead and have one foot in the next round.
They raced into an early lead thanks to two goals from Ayoub El Kaabi who found the net on 16 and 21 minutes before Villa hit back just before the break. The second half followed a similar path to the first, with El Kaabi completing his hattrick before Santiago Hezze put the icing on the cake with a fourth goal that should be enough to send them through. Despite conceding two goals, Olympiakos find themselves in a fantastic position.
Visitors Have It All to Do
Aston Villa understood the importance of making home advantage count in their quest to make a European final and relive the club’s glory years. They didn’t need the added pressure of having to win in Greece this Thursday, but that’s where they find themselves, with Villa needing two goals just to stay in the tie. A two-goal win would force this game into extra time with the possibility of penalties.
Thursday is a win-at-all-costs scenario, and despite knowing just how good their opponents are on the break, Villa must throw caution to the wind and go on the front foot from the opening whistle. The visitors arrive in Greece following a painful 1-0 loss at Brighton on Sunday in a game most pundits expected them to win. That narrow defeat wasn’t enough to drag Villa out of the top four as nearest rivals Tottenham lost a fourth game on the bounce.
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Prediction
Aston Villa is the final English team involved in European football this term, and it looks likely they’ll be eliminated at the semi-final stage. The Villans have performed well in UEFA’s third tournament, but this looks a bridge too far, and they now face an uphill struggle. Aston Villa is good enough to win this game, but covering a two-goal deficit won’t be easy.
Olympiakos did their best work in the first leg and are all but through to the final, barring a late collapse at home. The locals know they can afford to lose this game and still go through as long as they can stay within that two-goal cushion. If they play like they did in the previous leg, Olympiakos should have enough to progress.
Conference League Odds
22Bet members can make predictions on this game and gamble on the result using the website or mobile site. You’ll find several eye-catching markets available with generous odds attached. Finding the right bet for you is just a click away, but which team do you expect to emerge victorious and progress to the final?
Do you expect Olympiakos to keep their dreams alive with another win? Back Olympiakos for a home victory at odds of 3.35. Perhaps you prefer better odds and want to take a stab at Aston Villa securing an away win. Back Aston Villa for victory at 2.01, or try your hand at the draw, which trades at 3.71.
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