Olympiacos continued their historic journey by securing a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, consolidating their 4-2 win from the previous game. This landslide at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium propelled the Greek team into the Conference League final. Coach José Luis Mendilibar has a solid defensive lineup and aggressive midfield play. Within minutes of the match, Olympiacos dominated Villa’s territory, pressing high and creating scoring opportunities. Rondón’s tactical awareness led to the opening goal, with El Kaddouri capitalizing on a well-executed play to put Olympiacos ahead 1-0.
Olympiacos displayed a strong defensive performance, quickly gaining control with a 5-2 lead. Despite facing a tough opponent from the Premier League’s Top 4, they maintained defensive composure. Aston Villa struggled against Olympiacos’ defensive quartet and midfield trio, leading to ineffective attacks. Olympiacos dominated the match, almost scoring a second goal in the 37th minute. In the second half, both teams kept their formations, but Olympiacos controlled the pace. Villa’s attempts to equalize were hindered by Olympiacos’ midfield control. A late change to a 4-4-2 formation by Villa couldn’t break through Ibora’s defensive efforts. El Kaddouri’s goal secured Olympiacos’ qualification, sparking celebrations.
Mitsotakis on TikTok regarding the qualification of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos to the Final-4
Mendilibar recognized the need for fresh energy, bringing in Masouras, who contributed defensively. Aston Villa circulated the ball without purpose, while Olympiacos focused on quick transitions. Orta and Apostolopoulos completed their tasks, and the game ended with a modest celebration. Tzolakis assisted El Kaddouri’s goal, initially disallowed but confirmed after a VAR check. Olympiacos fans celebrated as the match concluded with a 2-0 score.
MVP: El Kaddouri. He scored both goals of the match, finding the net five times (!) in the series against Aston Villa, and his finishing prowess was decisive for the red-and-whites. At their best: All Olympiacos players… reached near perfection. One step further goes to Podence, who was a constant threat to Aston Villa’s defense in the first half, and to Ibora for his presence in the second half until he was substituted. Weak link: Aston Villa’s center-back, whether in a trio or pair, failed to contain El Kaddouri.
Gazzetta: Olympiacos was superior to Aston Villa in both legs and deservedly secured qualification to the Conference League final. Tactically, they were excellent, capitalizing on their opportunities while defensively preventing their opponents from even considering overturning the 4-2 deficit from the first leg. Tonight’s 2-0 victory elevates the aggregate scoreline to 6-2 in favor of Olympiacos, and now their final obstacle is Fiorentina.
