All week Aston Villa had been urging supporters to keep the faith with a catchy hashtag but in the end, they came face to face with cold reality.
There will be no chance to emulate the European Cup winning heroes of 1982, after Ayoub El Kaabi’s double took Olympiacos to the Final of the Europa Conference League. Not many teams can recover from a two-goal deficit away from home in Europe, no matter how much they might #Believe.
Olympiacos will face Fiorentina in this city later this month and Aston Villa must now turn their attention to securing a spot in next season’s Champions League. That would be richly deserved reward for an outstanding campaign, in which Unai Emery’s men have dealt superbly with injuries to key players.
The stadium was bouncing more than two hours before kick-off for what some locals described as the biggest match in Olympiacos’ history. Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis also controls this club and was chewing the fat on the touchline in the hours before kick-off.
And the volume only grew as kick-off approached, with Villa treated to a venomous welcome as they came out for their warm-up. With eight first-teamers absent and Clement Lenglet the only outfield player on Villa’s bench above the age of 21, there was huge responsibility on Emery’s starting side.
Ayoub El Kaabi struck twice as Olympiacos beat Aston Villa 2-0 on the night and 6-2 on aggregate
The journeyman striker scored five goals across the two legs to give Olympiacos a shock win
Villa were devastated after the club pushed the #Believe message to supporters all week
With fit-again Emi Martinez in goal, Villa went in with a back three and were given an early scare when Diego Carlos’ uncertain header was seized by Chiquinho, who should have hit the target from a good position.
But after that, the visitors showed promising composure, keeping possession well amid the din and forcing two corners.
Yet when Olympiacos did win back the ball, they made it count. Daniel Podence’s initial cross was cut out by John McGinn but Podence played the loose ball to Quini, and El Kaabi turned home the low cross at the far post.
Villa tried to regroup. Carlos berated Ezri Konsa for playing the wrong pass but ahead of him, Douglas Luiz and John McGinn were dictating terms in midfield, pushing Olympiacos back, though Villa’s attacks foundered too often because they would not shoot from range.
Panagiotis Retsos was at full stretch to stop Lucas Digne’s cross and Chiquinho made a crucial block from Ollie Watkins. When the Greek side regained the ball, they were too anxious to make a decisive pass and so continued to waste chances to disrupt Villa’s rhythm.
With so many players missing, Villa were cursing their luck when Leon Bailey stayed down after he was clattered a fraction outside the box by Rodinei. After a delay, the Jamaican climbed to his feet and Luiz lifted the free-kick too high.
Emery was agitated, gesturing at referee Felix Zwayer and jabbing his finger the fourth official. On a rare break, the dangerous Podence – on loan from Wolves – found Kostas Fortounis 20 yards out, and Martinez saved at the second attempt.
When Watkins robbed Retsos on the left, Diaby collected the pass and fed Bailey, whose delivery across the face was just missed by the sliding Matty Cash.
Unai Emery’s side were unable to keep the dream alive as they wilted towards the end of a long campaign
Olympiacos have qualified for the first European final in their history and will face Fiorentina
Despite their lead, Olympiacos were edgy. When four minutes’ stoppage time were signalled, Quini raised his arms in disbelief, desperate for the whistle. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Kostas Tzolakis made a super save from Bailey’s deflected strike.
Bailey and Diaby switched flanks for the second half and from Bailey’s clipped cross, Watkins guided a header just over Tzolakis’ bar. At the other end, Fortounis wandered in off the right wing before producing a weak shot. So assured in their build-up for most of the first 45 minutes, Villa were a little ragged after the break and Martinez twice found touch with misplaced passes.
Then Olympiacos broke incisively and a better pass from El Kaabi would have given Santiago Hezze a tap-in. By now Jhon Duran had replaced Diaby and his first burst forward brought a fumble from Tzolakis.
With the game opening up, Watkins had the ball stolen from his toes by David Carmo as he shaped to shoot and El Kaabi found himself in a tangle when he had the chance to kill the tie.
Then El Kaabi was convinced he had brought down by Konsa when clean through, only for play to continue. Perhaps wanting to give his side a shake, Martinez came haring out of goal to intercept a lofted pass and was relieved to earn a free-kick after colliding with substitute Giorgios Masouras.
The match was growing tetchy now, with Digne lucky not to be booked for shoving Rodinei and Luiz and Fortounis squaring up to each other.
El Kaabi’s second goal was initially ruled offside but this decision was overruled by VAR
Ollie Watkins was crestfallen at full-time, but with Villa on course to qualify for the Champions League, he will have more big nights to come
Jose Luis Mendilibar has led a historic few months in Greece after joining in February
Cash had kept going all night and when he charged beyond Quini and into the box, Retsos and Tzolakis combined to concede a corner.
It was all over when El Kaabi latched on to a long ball and hammered beyond Martinez, with the initial offside call overruled by VAR. There was still time for Tzolakis to tip Watkins’ header over the bar as Villa’s dreams faded into the Athenian night.
