Ollie Watkins scores his 27th goal of the season, but Aston Villa suffer defeat against Olympiakos in Europa Conference League semi-final first leg

Aston Villa’s dreams of making it to the Europa Conference League final took a major hit as they suffered a 4-2 defeat to Olympiakos in the chaotic semi-final first leg clash at Villa Park.

Ayoub El Kaabi stole the show with a hat-trick for the Greek side, putting them 2-0 up within the first half-hour of the game. Ollie Watkins managed to pull one back for Villa just before half-time, but Olympiakos quickly responded with Moussa Diaby equalizing early in the second half.

El Kaabi then completed his hat-trick with a penalty, followed by a deflected strike from Santiago Hezze, putting the visitors 4-2 ahead. Villa had a chance to narrow the gap with a late penalty, but Douglas Luiz failed to convert.

Despite Watkins scoring his 27th goal of the season, it was not enough to secure a win for Villa. The team now faces an uphill battle in the second leg in Piraeus on 9th May to overturn the two-goal deficit and secure a spot in their first European final since 1982.

El Kaabi’s clinical finishing and Podence’s clever passes proved to be too much for Villa to handle, as they were left reeling from Olympiakos’ attacking prowess. The home fans were left disappointed as their team now faces an uphill battle to salvage their European campaign.

The second leg promises to be a thrilling encounter as Villa look to turn the tide and secure a spot in the final. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting Europa Conference League semi-final clash.