Olympiakos Looks Right at Home in ECL Semis vs Aston Villa
Last week, Olympiakos crushed pretty much all soccer parlays after defeating Aston Villa 4-2 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League semifinals. Now, the Greek side is -500 to qualify for the Grand Finale, but don’t underestimate Unai Emery and the Villagers. The Spanish head coach has been in the UEFA Europa League final five times and won four.
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Match Information
- Date/Time: Thursday, May 9, at 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus
- Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Live Stream: Fubo.tv
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Odds and Spreads
Uphill Betting Climb for Aston Villa
Yes, Aston Villa disappointed in the first leg, but the Villagers have had a great season. First, they’re one victory away from securing a spot in the next edition of the Champions League. That’s right, even if they don’t win the UECL, because the Villagers are one victory away from finishing fourth in the English Premier League.
A two-goal deficit is hard to overcome, especially in a continental tournament, but the Villagers have Ollie Watkins, who has scored 27 goals in all competitions, including eight in the Conference League (including the qualifying round).
As if that weren’t enough, Leon Bailey leads the continental tournament in assists with five. Plus, the Jamaican has scored 14 goals in all competitions, including four in the Conference League. There’s also Moussa Diaby, one of the best wingers in the game. Summing up, if there’s a team that can overcome a two-goal deficit, that’s Aston Villa.
Most recently, they lost 1-0 to Brighton, but again, the Villagers’ top priority is to win the UECL. That’s why Emery isn’t worried about losing two games in a row.
Unai Emery: “Now, it’s very important to rest again, to recover some players, to recover again energy.”
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 5, 2024
Olympiakos vs Aston Villa Betting Online Tips
- Olympiakos won the first leg 4-2.
- Olympiakos averages 2.3 goals per game when playing at home.
- Aston Villa averages 1.7 goals per game when playing on the road.
- Olympiakos is 8-0-2 in its last 10 home games.
- Aston Villa is 5-3-2 in its last 10 road games.
- Olympiakos scored in all its last 10 matches at home.
- Aston Villa scored in seven of its last 10 games on the road.
- Olympiakos has won the first half in 50 percent of its matches; Aston Villa 45 percent.
Olympiakos Hard to Bet Against in ECL
What makes Olympiakos so special? The short answer is Ayoub El Kaabi, who has scored eight goals in the ECL. He’s also the team’s top scorer domestically with 18 goals. In fact, combining the regular season and the playoffs, no other player in the Greek Super Lig has scored more goals than El Kaabi.
Besides El Kaabi, there’s the fact that the White and Reds are 7-0-1 in the ECL. Believe it or not, Olympiakos lost 4-1 in the first leg of the Round of 16, against Maccabi Tel-Aviv and at home, but the White and Reds won the second leg 6-1. That alone is very special.
Finally, we’re talking about a team that’s aiming to win a brace – Super Lig and Conference League. That should be motivation enough to go all-in right from the start, especially in front of their fans, which are considered among the best in Europe.
“I think it will be a very different atmosphere for them (Aston Villa), because our fans will push us as always. We’ve a lead to defend, but we must keep in mind that we must score. That’s why I don’t talk about the final because we are taking it step by step,” said striker Daniel Podence after the first leg.
Questions Of The Day
Which players are most likely to score in Olympiakos vs Aston Villa?
Ayoub El Kaabi for Olympiakos and Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa.
