Aston Villa 2-4 Olympiakos: Europa Conference League semi-final, first leg – as it happened
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Okay, it's time for me to say goodbye because you need to read the report by Ben Fisher. He wrote about the game at Villa Park.
Outcomes from alternative sources. Leverkusen's unwavering determination to never suffer a defeat is quite remarkable.
The players of Olympiakos are standing in a row and jumping in front of the fans who have come to support the visiting team. It's a fantastic moment for those who have made the trip.
The night was amazing for Olympiakos, especially for their number 9 player, El Kaabi. He played exceptionally well with two goals in the first half and a penalty goal in the second half. He even got to take the match ball home with him. Sadly, Villa had a chance to score a point but Douglas Luiz missed the penalty shot.
Aston Villa Loses 2-4 To Olympiakos In Full Time
The Villa team experienced their first home loss of the Europa Conference League season.
In the 90th minute plus five, Watkins displays skilled footwork while inside the penalty area. However, due to a poor touch, he loses control of the ball, which then goes out for a goal kick.
In the 94th minute, Olympiakos decided to kick the ball far away from their goal as Villa attempted to pass it in a strategic manner around the area near the goal.
In the 92nd minute, Villa executed a well-coordinated move towards the left side, from where Digne provided an accurate pass. However, Tzolakis, who was solid as a rock, cleverly intercepted the ball from the middle.
As the match reached its 91st minute, the referee announced that an additional five minutes would be played. During this time, Retsos, a player from the home team, was injured inside his own penalty area, which caused a delay in the game. This injury time was used up as Retsos received medical attention.
In the span of 90 minutes, Durán attempts to snag the accolade of "Goal of the Millennium" through a flashy move from the box's outskirts, yet falls short of hitting the ball accurately.
At minute 88, Tim Smith expressed his desire for Olympiacos player number 23 to make an own goal or receive a red card, just so they could mockingly call him "Rodinei, you plonker." He also commented on how Premier League teams without recent European experience are struggling against teams with more modest backgrounds but more experience. He then wondered if Aston Villa's recent poor performance was due to the absence of their player Emi.
In the 87th minute, Luiz effortlessly moves through the center before making a beautiful pass to McGinn who was rushing ahead. But when McGinn finally takes a shot with his left foot, it was weak and lacked conviction, and thus, it was easily caught by Tzolakis.
After 84 minutes, Zaniolo came in for Diaby, and Iroegbunam substituted Bailey. Villa is facing a tough situation.
Douglas Luiz Fails Penalty Kick!
The players are in a bit of a scuffle outside the penalty area, causing a pause in the game. Then, Douglas Luiz takes a shot that hits the outside of the right post.
Aston Villa Penalized!
After 82 minutes of the game, Durán falls to the ground and the referee signals a penalty kick. There was a claim for a handball before Carmo brings down the attacking player, making it an obvious decision.
In the 80th minute of the game, Fortounis passed an incredible ball towards the box from the right-hand side. Villa's defenders managed to handle the situation, but it still resulted in a corner for Olympiakos. There was a shot from a distance, but Olsen, the goalkeeper for Villa, made a good save by diving to his left.
In the 78th minute of the game, Douglas Luiz kicks the ball towards the goal. Unfortunately, Watkins does not manage to hit the ball with his head accurately and misses the target.
In the 77th minute, Villa is awarded a free-kick on the right-hand side. This is an opportunity for them to get the ball into the penalty area.
After 74 minutes, Durán has come on to replace Villa as Emery looks to score one or maybe even two goals. Even if they manage to score just one, it will leave them with a positive feeling for the second leg.
After 73 minutes, Watkins, Digne and Rogers combined well to send the ball towards the goal from the left. However, the keeper anticipated the move and made a good save.
In 72 minutes of the game, Watkins received a pass from Rogers inside the box. Unfortunately, he didn't have a good first touch and had to adjust his position to take a shot with his right foot. However, the shot went directly towards the goalkeeper and didn't result in a goal.
After playing brilliantly, Podence's final move was an attempt to pass the ball to El Kaabi inside the box, but it wasn't successful. He managed to steal the ball from the center, but unfortunately couldn't make the shot. However, it was a great individual performance from Podence as he is now replaced by André Horta.
Aston Villa 2-4 Olympiakos: Hezze's Goal!
The ball was deflected and went into the goal! Hezze attempted to score from a short distance outside the penalty box, and the ball hit Konsa's back before bouncing into the net. Olsen was already moving to his left, but he failed to make the necessary adjustments to prevent the goal.
After 65 minutes, Lenglet skillfully deals with a lengthy pass towards the backline, and the supporters of Villa express their excitement as their team advances forward once more.
In 64 minutes of play, Rogers sent a cross from the right side that was hit strongly but landed in the netting on the side of the goal.
Villa can breathe a sigh of relief as Chelsea defeated Tottenham, which is good news for them.
In the 61st minute, Villa execute an excellent play through the center, as Watkins sprints towards the last delivery made. However, Tzolakis promptly grasps the situation and charges out of his area to get rid of the ball. Unfortunately for Watkins, it ricochets off him but fortunately, the ball goes out of play, bringing relief to the opposing team as it results in a goal kick.
After 59 minutes of play, Rogers made a good turn and passed the ball to Watkins who was inside the penalty area. Watkins then managed to make a successful cross from the left to the front post, where Diaby came in and tried to score. However, the ball was cleared by Olympiakos' defense, resulting in a corner kick. The ball was sent in but Olympiakos managed to clear it and deal with any leftover chances.
Aston Villa Loses 2-3 To Olympiakos: Goal By El Kaabi At 56'
El Kaabi makes a hat-trick! He confidently strikes the ball down the left, making Olsen move in a different direction. In no time, Olympiakos gains the lead again.
In 55 minutes, Olympiakos got a corner kick from the right, which Fortounis kicked deep, but Retsos' attempt was blocked. However, during the action, Luiz got in the way and blocked the ball with his hands, leading to a penalty being called due to his close range position.
Aston Villa And Olympiakos Tie With 2-2 Score
We are now tied! Lenglet passes the ball to Bailey on the right side, who sends a clever pass into the box for Diaby to pursue. Instead of passing the ball back, Diaby takes a shot at goal and manages to sneak it in from a very difficult angle near the post. Villa is now dominating the game.
After 51 minutes, Villa managed to control the ball and showed a keen edge, unleashing a series of attacks at the start of the second half.
In just 50 minutes, Rogers displays sheer power as he pivots and moves ahead through the center. However, Bailey's attempt from the right is thwarted by Richards' block. Despite this setback, Villa refuses to back down and maintains the pressure, as evidenced by McGinn's shot from the box's edge, which is also blocked.
In 49 minutes, Bailey made a mistake by passing the ball too far for Diaby to catch. However, Diaby still appreciated the effort and gave his teammate a thumbs up.
After 48 minutes, Podence gracefully placed a ball into the Villa box, a move he truly enjoyed executing during the first half. Unfortunately, El Kaabi was not able to capitalize on it.
In less than an hour of play, Rodinei quickly moves towards the right flank, gaining some advantageous positions and earning a few throws for his team. However, the opposing team, Villa, manages to recover the ball.
Olympiakos has made a modification to their team lineup by replacing Ortega with Omar Richards. Villa has now started the game.
The athletes are starting to return. The game is expected to resume shortly.
The commencement of the second half has been postponed due to a medical crisis amongst the gathering. Keeping our fingers crossed for a positive outcome.
Aston Villa Trails Olympiakos 1-2 At Half-time
Wow! The first 45 minutes were full of action. Villa didn't start strong, but El Kaabi managed to make two impressive runs, getting behind the defense and finishing well. However, after a short break, Emery gave the team a stern pep talk that seems to have worked. Watkins, who is always dependable, scored a goal at the end of the first half to complete a great team effort.
At the 45th minute plus three minutes of extra time, Villa starts to make progress towards the opponent's goal and Luiz takes a shot that goes over the goalpost. However, it seems that the team has only just regained their energy and focus.
Aston Villa Scores, But Loses To Olympiakos
Let's go! Cash moves towards the right and passes the ball to Diaby in the middle, who makes an excellent pass into the box for Watkins to jump on. His first-time shot from the side of the area goes past Tzolakis smoothly and Villa feels confident.
After 45 minutes, the two players made contact, but it seems that Bailey intentionally wanted to engage in physical contact with the other player.
After 44 minutes into the game, Bailey maneuvered himself inside the penalty box with skillful twists and turns, only to fall down. However, the referee refused to give a penalty ruling, disregarding Bailey's plea. Villa winger was caught in a scuffle with Ortega on the field.
After 43 minutes of play, Olympiakos decided to take a short corner. They managed to bring the ball closer to the middle but unfortunately, it wasn't perfectly placed for El Kaabi to take a shot at the goal. Instead, El Kaabi chose to play it safe and made a pass. Unfortunately, their attempt didn't end up in a goal as it resulted in a goalkick.
In 42 minutes, Cash jumps and hits the back of Podence's head with his own, causing some tension among the Villa players.
After 40 minutes of play, Podence and Luiz got into an argument and the referee had to step in to defuse the situation.
After 39 minutes, Podence spearheads Olympiakos' offensive attack, and Fortounis fires a shot from the right side that narrowly sails over the crossbar and Olsen, the opposing team's goalkeeper. This is another encouraging advance by the visiting team.
