da bet nacional： Unai Emery's hopes of reaching another European final hang by a thread after his side's 4-2 defeat at Villa Park.
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Horror show from Douglas LuizWatkins and Diaby grab goalsSecond leg in Piraeus next ThursdayGettyTELL ME MORE
Villa’s first appearance in the final four of a continental competition since 1982 could not have got off to a worse start as they fell 2-0 behind in the opening half hour.
Two goals from Ayoub El Kaabi temporarily silenced Villa Park but Ollie Watkins managed to halve the deficit just before the half-time break, the English striker finishing a fine Villa move after being teed up by Moussa Diaby.
The chaos continued at the start of the second half as Diaby equalised from a tight angle before El Kaabi bagged his hat-trick goal from the penalty spot following a handball from Douglas Luiz. Olympiacos then restored their two-goal advantage in the 67th minute when Santiago Hezze’s long-range effort flew past Olsen via a deflection off Ezri Konsa.
Luiz compounded his side’s miserable evening by failing to convert from the spot late on after Jhon Duran had been upended in the box.
The other Conference League semi-final first leg saw Fiorentina claim a precious 3-2 home win over Club Brugge in another high-scoring affair.
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El Kaabi’s three-goal showing was that of a top-quality frontman, with Villa’s back-line simply unable to contain his shrewd movement and calmness in the final third. It is no surprise he boasts 18 goals in the Greek Super League this season, with his Villa Park brace taking him to eight from 11 in the Conference League. A very underrated striker in the grand scheme of things.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
Villa’s defence was sub-par throughout but it was Luiz who endured the most torrid evening in claret and blue. The usually dependable midfielder was below his best in the middle and was guilty of the handball that gifted El Kaabi the chance to score from the spot. To make matters worse, the Brazilian failed to hit the target with a penalty of his own, the effort crashing off the post and leaving the Villans with a mountain to climb in Greece.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Before next week’s second leg in Piraeus, Villa will aim to keep their Premier League top-four finish firmly on track as they travel to Brighton on Sunday. A potentially tough fixture against Roberto De Zerbi’s side is made all the more difficult by the fact Olympiacos have a full week of rest with no domestic fixture scheduled. As such, rotation will surely be at the forefront of Emery’s mind.