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Aston Villa will welcome Olympiacos to Villa Park in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League semifinals on Thursday.
The hosts are unbeaten in their last two league games and were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday. Marc Cucurella's own goal helped them take the lead in the fourth minute while Morgan Rogers made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute.
They gave away the lead in the second half as goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher helped Chelsea take home a crucial point from the match.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last three games, recording two wins. They met Lamia in the Super League Greece playoffs on Sunday, registering a comfortable 4-1 home triumph.
Interestingly, both Aston Villa and Olympiacos booked their place in the semifinals via penalty shootouts. The hosts overcame Lille 4-3 in the shootout while the visitors were victorious against Fenerbahce, leading 3-2 on penalties.
Aston Villa vs Olympiacos Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams meet for the first time in a competitive match.
- The hosts have scored at least two goals in five of their last six games in all competitions.
- The visitors have won five of their last seven games in all competitions.
- Villa have a 100% home record in the Europa Conference League, including qualifiers.
- Olympiacos, meanwhile, have won two of their three away games in the Conference League.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last six home games in all competitions, recording four wins. They have scored 16 goals in these games.
- The visitors have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 games in all competitions.
Aston Villa vs Olympiacos Prediction
The Villans have been in good touch recently, recording three wins in their last five games, including a 2-1 away triumph over Arsenal in the Premier League in April. They are unbeaten in their last six home games and will look to keep that run intact.
Unai Emery has had to deal with a spate of injuries among his ranks as he remains without the services of Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia, and Jacob Ramsey. Emi Martinez and Youri Tielemans both picked up injuries in the draw with Chelsea, adding to his woes. Martinez was suspended for the first leg anyway.
Thrylos scored four goals in their previous league outing on Sunday and will look to build on that form. They have suffered two losses in their last four away games while recording just one win. Georgios Masouras and defender Andreas Ntoi are suspended for the first leg and won't travel to Birmingham.
While Villa have a lengthy absentee list for the match, home advantage should come in handy in this match. Unai Emery's experience in Europe could also be the deciding factor. With that in mind, the hosts are expected to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Olympiacos
Aston Villa vs Olympiacos Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Aston Villa to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Ollie Watkins to score or assist any time - Yes
