Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

Aston Villa are the only English team remaining in European competition and with that, Matthew O’Regan has readied a Aston Villa vs Olympiakos prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview. A place in the final against Fiorentina or Club Brugge in Athens is at stake for the winner, so expect a feisty affair. 

• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Tip 1: Both Teams To Score
• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Tip 2: Ollie Watkins To Score
• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Tip 3: Morgan Rogers to be booked

Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 1: Goals at Both Ends

Europa Conference League, Thursday, 2nd March, 2024

Despite a second-half crumble to draw at home to Chelsea, this weekend saw Aston Villa edge nearer to Champions League qualification due to Tottenham losing to bitter rivals Arsenal. 

Unai Emery’s side scraped through in the Quarter-Finals against Lille. After a 2-1 victory at home to the Les Douges, Villa were defeated 2-1 in the north of France, before a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory. 

That game was indicative of Villa’s defensive issues, with the Villans only keeping three clean sheets in their last 17 games. Emery’s side have also scored in their last ten, boasting an impressive goal-scoring record. 

With 73 goals scored and 52 conceded in 35 league games, their games are averaging 3.57 goals. 24/35 (69%) of their Premier League games this season have seen BTTS – the third highest in the league. 5/6 of their group stage games and both knockout games against Lille also saw BTTS, with Emery’s high octane style taking precedent over defensive stability. 

In addition to this, boisterous goalkeeper Emi Martinez is injured/suspended for this match, meaning Robin Olsen takes the gloves. The Swedish keeper conceded two in 45 minutes against Chelsea, four against Manchester City and one against Legia Warsaw in his last three. 

Olympiakos have seen BTTS in half of their league games, including their last four games. Thrylos group games saw an average of 4.16 goals. Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side also played out an entertaining 5-7 aggregate win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in a previous round. 

• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 1: Both Teams To Score
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 2: Watkins to continue rich vein of form

A big part of Villa’s success this season has been starman Ollie Watkins. The 28-year-old has 38 goal contributions in 48 games, including seven goals from 10 Europa Conference League games, including in the last two home games in this competition. 

In the Premier League, he is averaging 0.58 goals per 90 from an xG of 0.49 and 3.12 shots (1.42 OT). Excluding the qualifiers vs Hibernian, Watkins has scored 0.47 per 90 from an xG of 0.38. 

Olympiakos have conceded 22 in their 12 Europa Conference League games thus far, showing extreme defensive fragility. They’ve also conceded 32 in 33 league games and have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11.

With Aston Villa needing a win before heading to a cauldron of noise in Greece, Watkins should get plenty of opportunity to add to his goal tally. 

• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 2: Ollie Watkins To Score Anytime
• Best Odds: 2.10
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 3: Dirty Rogers

While Villa have entertained the country with their high line and pressing football, another reason they have been so successful under Emery is their ability to do the ‘dirty’ side of the games, knowing when to foul and take one for the team. 

Emery’s side average 2.62 cards per game – the fourth most in the league. They’ve also received 13 yellows and one red in their four knockout games thus far. One player who has shown he is not afraid to do the dirty work is Morgan Rogers. 

Rogers was signed in January from Championship side Middlesbrough and has impressed thus far, scoring in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea. In the Premier League, the 21-year-old is averaging 6.01 duels won per 90, while committing 1.76 fouls. He’s also been shown three yellows, for an average of 0.44. 

He has also been shown two yellows in three Europa Conference League starts, averaging 1.35 fouls per 90 and 0.6 yellow cards per 90. Rogers also picked up five yellow cards in 14 Championship starts for Middlesbrough. With three yellows in his last four matches, don’t be surprised to see Rogers in the referees notebook again. 

• Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction 3: Morgan Rogers To Be Booked
• Best Odds: Yet To Be Priced
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 4/10

Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Prediction odds via bet365 as at 12:00 April, 29,2024 Odds may now differ.

Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Team News and Possible Lineups: Martinez absent to be felt

After being booked in both legs against Lille, Emi Martinez misses this game through suspension. He was injured and substituted in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea regardless, so will be a huge miss. Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey, Kortney Hause, Boubacar Kamara, Emi Buendia and Alex Moreno remain out, while Nicolo Zaniolo suffered an injury in the second leg at Lille. 

Olympiakos also have a long injury list. Andreas-Richardos Ntoi, Bandiougou Fadiga, David Carmo, Doron Leidner, Francisco Ortega, Stevan Jovetic and Vicente Iborra are all expected to miss out too. 

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Olsen; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Tielemans, Luiz, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins

Olympiakos possible starting lineup:
Tzolakis; Rodinei, Carmo, Retsos, Richards; Chiquinho, Hezze; Fortounis, Podence,  Masouras; El Kaabi

Match OPTA Stats: Tetchy Game Expected

• This will be the first meeting between Aston Villa and Olympiakos in European competition, as well as  the first ever competitive game for Aston Villa against any Greek opponent. 
• Olympiakos will face an English opponent for the 10th time in a knockout stage of a major European  competition, having progressed just once in the previous nine occasions (v Arsenal in the 2019-20  Europa League last 32). 
• This is Aston Villa’s second major European semi-final after the 1981-82 European Cup, when the  Villans won their only major European trophy. 
• Olympiakos have reached the semi-finals of a major European competition for the first time in the club’s  history. They could become only the second Greek side to reach the final of any major European  tournament, after Panathinaikos in the 1970-71 European Cup (lost to Ajax). 
• Aston Villa have won all five home games in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season; should  they win today against Olympiakos, Aston Villa will set a new record for consecutive home wins in major  European competition (6). 
• Aston Villa have scored in each of their last 19 home games in major European competition since a 0-1  defeat against Deportivo de La Coruña in the 1993-94 UEFA Cup last 32. The last English side to have a  longer such run was Manchester City in 2016-2021 (27). 

Aston Villa Fixtures: Do-Or-Die time for Villa

• Vs Olympiakos (H)
• Vs Brighton (A)
• Vs Olympiakos (A)
• Vs Liverpool (H)
• Vs Crystal Palace (A)

Olympiakos Fixtures: Tight League Proceedings

• Vs Aston Villa (A)
• Vs Aston Villa(H)
• Vs PAOK (A)
• Vs AEK Athens (H)
• Vs Panathinaikos (A)

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