Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Olympiakos 4.
Sports
Aston Villa 2-4 Olympiakos: Europa Conference League semi-final blow for Unai Emery’s side
Aston Villa captain John McGinn faced up to a chaotic Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg loss to Olympiakos, and said: “Everything that could have gone wrong, did.”
Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick for the visitors, netting twice early on.
Ollie Watkins reduced the deficit for Unai Emery’s side and Moussa Diaby equalised moments after the interval.
Olympiakos roared back in front with an El Kaabi penalty and a deflected strike from Santiago Hezze.
Douglas Luiz missed a late penalty, meaning Villa must overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg in Piraeus on 9 May to reach their first European final since 1982.
“There were mistakes all round tonight and we’ll take responsibility,” McGinn told TNT Sports.
“We have a mountain to climb but we know we’re capable. The manager was still positive in there. There’s still a long way to go.”
El Kaabi began the goal flurry with a clinical finish. It was initially disallowed for an offside, but that was overturned after a check by the video assistant referee (VAR).
The Morocco striker added a classy second when he latched on to Daniel Podence’s clever pass over the top and slipped the ball under Robin Olsen.
Watkins pulled a goal back for Villa in added time in the first half with an angled finish from just outside the six-yard box.
Diaby then levelled as Konstantinos Tzolakis was beaten at his near post.
Villa seemed to have the momentum at that point but were sucker-punched by their visitors.
Douglas Luiz handled a Panagiotis Retsos header and El Kaabi coolly sent Olsen the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick to take his tally to eight goals in the competition.
There was more than an element of fortune to Olympiakos’ fourth as Hezze’s speculative effort flicked off the back of Ezri Konsa to wrong-foot Olsen.
Douglas Luiz had a late opportunity to atone for his error after David Carmo felled Jhon Duran but, to the incredulity of the home fans, he failed to hit the target.
Villa caught cold by bold Greeks
The presence of Villa fan Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and a colourful mosaic in the Holte End heightened a sense of expectation at a raucous Villa Park before kick-off.
Emery talked up the importance of a top-four Premier League finish in the build-up to this match, but for the fans in claret and blue it was dreams of a first major trophy since 1996 that largely occupied their thoughts.
If those dreams are to become a reality then Villa will need to be much improved in the second leg after they were caught cold by the intensity of an Olympiakos side motivated by their own sense of destiny.
The Greek Super League side have never reached a major European final and played with a fearless attacking verve as they pressed and harassed Villa into defensive lapses.
Certainly Villa’s ability to play out from the back with composure was hampered by the absence of suspended goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and ball-playing defender Pau Torres.
Emery cut an animated figure in the technical area as he tetchily issued instructions to his side, with both Olsen and Clement Lenglet facing his ire.
Villa may need a tactical masterclass from their Spanish manager if they are to have a chance of overhauling Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side in Greece.
“We didn’t play like we are playing and we need to keep being consistent,” Emery told TNT Sports.
“They deserved to win and they are a good team. It’s not about luck. We didn’t play well. We have to play better.”
In the other semi-final, M’Bala Nzola scored in added time as Fiorentina snatched a 3-2 home victory over a Club Bruges side who played nearly a third of the game with 10 men after Raphael Onyedika was sent off.
Riccardo Sottil had earlier put Fiorentina ahead before Hans Vanaken equalised from the penalty spot.
Andrea Belotti restored Fiorentina’s advantage eight minutes before half-time, but Igor Thiago got the 10-man Belgian side back on level terms soon after the hour, before Nzola came up with the late winner.
Player of the match
Daniel PodenceDaniel Podence
Aston Villa
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Squad number11Player nameWatkins
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Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
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Squad number2Player nameCash
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Squad number27Player nameRogers
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Squad number19Player nameDiaby
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Squad number31Player nameBailey
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Squad number4Player nameKonsa
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Squad number12Player nameDigne
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Squad number47Player nameIroegbunam
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Squad number24Player nameDurán
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Squad number22Player nameZaniolo
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Squad number17Player nameLenglet
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Squad number25Player nameOlsen
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Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
Olympiakos
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Squad number56Player nameDaniel Podence
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Squad number9Player nameEl Kaabi
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Squad number5Player nameAndré Horta
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Squad number7Player nameFortounis
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Squad number6Player nameChiquinho
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Squad number88Player nameTzolakis
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Squad number8Player nameIborra
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Squad number23Player nameRodinei
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Squad number45Player nameRetsos
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Squad number16Player nameDavid Carmo
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Squad number3Player nameOrtega
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Squad number27Player nameRichards
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Squad number32Player nameHezze
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 25Olsen
- 2Cash
- 4Konsa
- 17Lenglet
- 12Digne
- 7McGinn
- 6Douglas Luiz
- 31BaileySubstituted forZanioloat 85′minutes
- 19DiabyBooked at 83minsSubstituted forIroegbunamat 85′minutes
- 27RogersSubstituted forDuránat 74′minutes
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 3Diego Carlos
- 14P Torres
- 18Gauci
- 22Zaniolo
- 24Durán
- 29Kesler-Hayden
- 47Iroegbunam
- 64Wright
- 69Munroe
- 71Kellyman
- 72Young
Olympiakos
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 88Tzolakis
- 23de Almeida
- 45Retsos
- 16Mota Veiga Teixeira do Carmo
- 3OrtegaSubstituted forRichardsat 45′minutes
- 8Iborra de la Fuente
- 32Hezze
- 7FortounisBooked at 83mins
- 6Lima Silva Machado
- 56PodenceSubstituted forLuz Hortaat 70′minutes
- 9El Kaabi
Substitutes
- 1Paschalakis
- 5Luz Horta
- 11El Arabi
- 15Alexandropoulos
- 18Marín Ruiz
- 20Carvalho
- 22Jovetic
- 27Richards
- 70Prekates
- 99Papadoudis
Live Text
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Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Olympiakos 4.
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Attempt missed. Konstantinos Fortounis (Olympiakos) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Rodinei.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Panagiotis Retsos (Olympiakos).
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Attempt missed. Jhon Durán (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
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Attempt saved. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Douglas Luiz.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Tim Iroegbunam replaces Moussa Diaby.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Nicolò Zaniolo replaces Leon Bailey.
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Penalty missed! Still Aston Villa 2, Olympiakos 4. Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) hits the right post with a right footed shot.
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Konstantinos Fortounis (Olympiakos) is shown the yellow card.
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Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
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Penalty Aston Villa. Jhon Durán draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by David Carmo (Olympiakos) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Attempt saved. Chiquinho (Olympiakos) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Corner, Olympiakos. Conceded by Clément Lenglet.
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Attempt missed. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Douglas Luiz with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Omar Richards (Olympiakos).
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Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sports
US PGA Championship: Xander Schauffele leads as Scottie Scheffler closes in
At five under par overnight, McIlroy and MacIntyre had the opportunity to push on as the rain eased.
Only the Scot looked likely to take it.
Playing the opposite side of the course to the more celebrated names, he quietly picked up four shots in 10 holes to get to nine under par but after hitting a shot from a hospitality verandah as he scrambled a par on the long seventh, he bogeyed the final two holes as he raced to beat the fading light.
Meanwhile, McIlroy birded the opening hole but was unable to find his form on the greens before the double bogey at 12 wrecked his card. It now seems unlikely his long wait for a major victory will end here at the place where he won his last one in 2014.
Playing partner Justin Rose managed an eagle at the last to join him on five under par while fellow Englishmen Matt Wallace (67) and Aaron Rai (68) improved to seven and six under respectively.
Thirty-one of the past 34 winners of this tournament have been in the top 10 at the halfway stage.
Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, is in that bracket after he shot seven birdies on his way to a 65 as he finished in near darkness to join Scheffler on nine under.
He was joined in the top 10 by 2023 runner-up Viktor Hovland who moved smoothly to eight under with a 66.
Lurking one place outside the top 10, 2023 winner Brooks Koepka matched magical iron play with inconsistent putting in his three-under 68. Five off the lead, the three-time champion remains a threat in this tournament.
Sports
G4D Open: Kipp Popert holds off Brendan Lawlor to win at Woburn
Kipp Popert underlined his status as the world’s leading golfer with a disability by holding off second-ranked Brendan Lawlor to win the G4D Open at Woburn.
England’s Popert started the final round one behind defending champion Lawlor but his two-over 74 was enough to win by one stroke.
“It’s great to win,” said Popert who has cerebral palsy.
“It was nice to come out on top at the end of the week in the battle with Brendan.
“I won the US Adaptive Open last year with the USGA so I’ve now got both at the same time. I’m pretty excited to get home and put them next to each other.”
Lawlor birdied the first to move two shots clear but double bogeys on the par three second and seventh holes derailed the Irishman, while Popert birdied the eighth to move one clear.
However, Popert dropped two shots at the ninth and Lawlor bogeyed it to leave the players tied on one over par with nine to play.
Popert was three shots ahead after the 14th but Lawlor fought back to be level after 16 holes, However, the world number two made a costly bogey on the 17th and Popert parred the last to win the second staging of the championship.
“It’s a tough one to take,” said Lawlor, who has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome that is characterised by a short stature and short limbs.
“I went two ahead early on but I just kept hitting ropey shots. When I went three behind on the 14th, I said, ‘right, it’s time to fight now’.
“I wanted to defend, wanted to try and win it. But unfortunately I duffed my nine-iron on 17 and made bogey.”
Dutch player Daphne van Houten, who suffers from scoliosis, was crowned the women’s champion.
The championship was held in partnership between the DP World Tour and the R&A and supported by EDGA – formally the European Disabled Golf Association. It featured 80 men and women, aged 15-68, playing in nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups.
A gross prize was also awarded in each sport class, covering various categories in standing, intellectual, visual and sitting.
Men’s gross prize winners:
Intellectual 1: Cameron Pollard, Australia
Intellectual 2: Thomas Blizzard, England
Standing 1: Juan Postigo Arce, Spain
Standing 2: Kipp Popert, England
Standing 3: Brendan Lawlor, Ireland
Sitting 1: Terry Kirby, England
Sitting 2: Richard Kluwen, Netherlands
Visual 1: Paul O’Rahilly, Ireland
Visual 2: John Eakin, England
Women’s gross prize winners:
Intellectual 2: Erika Malmberg, Sweden
Standing 1: Alessandra Donati, Italy
Standing 2: Aimi Bullock, England
Standing 3: Daphne van Houten, Netherlands
Sports
Spurs loss to Man City ‘worst experience’ – Postecoglou
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou says Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester City was his “worst experience as a manager”.
Erling Haaland scored two second-half goals to keep City’s title fate in their own hands – and end Spurs’ chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
READ MORE: Spurs loss to Man City ‘worst experience’ – Postecoglou
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