Either Olympiacos or Aston Villa will reach the Europa Conference League final on Thursday.
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Olympiacos vs. Aston Villa Odds
Find the latest match odds for Olympiacos vs Aston Villa. All ratings are provided by our top rated football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
⚡Olympiacos vs Aston Villa Quick Betting Tips
Olympiacos vs Aston Villa predictions
Before the start of the Europa Conference League semi-finals, Aston Villa were the favorites to win the tournament. After the first legs, they are now underdogs.
Villa were stunned by Olympiacos in Birmingham last week. The Greek team took a 2-0 lead, before being caught by the hosts. But Olympiacos steadied themselves thereafter, scoring twice more to win 4-2 at Villa Park.
Given that they are currently fourth in the Premier League, it’s not hard to see why Villa were so highly favored for the semi-finals.
But for all Unai Emery’s credentials, this is a team that still has relatively little experience of European football. Villa only beat Lille on penalties in the round of 16, while Olympiacos are used to competing on the continent season after season.
Fatigue also seems to be setting in at Villa. They produced a sluggish and lethargic performance in the Premier League on Sunday, losing 1-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion. Emery’s men managed just two shots throughout the game on the South Coast.
If Villa is suffering from fatigue, it’s understandable. The meeting with Brighton was their 53rd match of the season. Their Europa Conference League campaign began before the group stage with a home-and-away play-off against Hibernian.
Injuries also took their toll. Morgan Rogers was the latest Villa player to suffer illness at the weekend. He joins Emi Martinez, Emi Buendia, Boubacar Kamara, Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey and Youri Tielemans on the treatment table.
Nonetheless, Villa will dig deep into their reserves to try to overturn the two-goal deficit from the first leg.
The fact that Tottenham Hotspur lost to Liverpool on Sunday means Emery’s side are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League. This gives them the opportunity to go into action on Thursday, knowing that fourth place is almost assured.
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Olympiacos vs Aston Villa predictions
Aston Villa have a mountain to climb in this Europa Conference League semi-final: can they spring a surprise?
Aston Villa winner – 5/6 (Sky Bet)
Olympiacos fans will believe their side have done enough to qualify for the Europa Conference League final, but Jose Luis Mendilibar – their third manager in a chaotic season – will warn against complacency.
Currently fourth in the Greek Super League, Olympiacos are unlikely to win the domestic title this season. They will therefore be fully concentrated on Thursday evening.
It will be difficult for Aston Villa to advance from here, but we think they will at least have a chance of emerging victorious after 90 minutes.
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The Karaiskakis Stadium creates a fantastic atmosphere early on, but Villa will take inspiration from the fact that Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv won at Olympiacos’ home ground in previous rounds.
There is also a risk that Olympiacos will be caught between two stools. Should they aim to protect their overall advantage or seek to increase it?
Villa’s task is clearer and this could allow them to win on the night.
⚽ Back Aston Villa to win at 5/6 with Sky Bet ⚽
Over 2.5 goals – 4/7 (bet365)
Aston Villa won’t be enthusiastic from the first whistle on Thursday, as conceding the first goal would leave them with a mountain to climb. Indeed, it is vital that Emery’s charges draw first blood in Piraeus.
The second leg could well follow the pattern of the first, which saw Villa and Olympiacos trade blows in a wonderfully open encounter.
While they are not expected to immediately attack with abandon, Villa will have to take risks at some point in their bid to restore overall parity.
This in turn could provide opportunities for Olympiacos. Mendilibar, who won the Europa League with Sevilla last season, is a canny manager. He will try to get his team to eliminate Villa at the break if they leave too many spaces behind.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine this being a boring, low-impact affair.
⚽ Aim for over 2.5 goals at 4/7 with bet365 ⚽
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Ollie Watkins will score anytime – 6/5 (bet365)
This has been the best season of Ollie Watkins’ career to date.
His 50 appearances in all competitions have brought him 27 goals, including eight in this competition (including three in the qualifying play-offs). This return is even more impressive when you consider that Douglas Luiz, not Watkins, is Aston Villa’s designated shooter.
Emery will need Watkins to be at his best if Villa are to overturn this tie. The England international was kept quiet by Brighton on Sunday, but he is more than capable of making a major impact in this semi-final second leg.
Emery helped make Watkins a more complete center forward. His goal total is quite impressive this season before you even consider that he has also provided 12 assists.
Watkins has only scored one goal in his last five outings in all competitions, but that was against Olympiacos last week.
⚽ Advise Ollie Watkins to score anytime at 6/5 with bet365 ⚽
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📺 How to watch Olympiacos vs Aston Villa
- Location: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece.
- Date and time: Thursday May 9, 8 p.m.
- How to watch: TNT Sports 1.
About the Author
Greg Léa
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He primarily covers the Premier League and has published work in the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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