The Aston Villa coach, Unai Emery, has shared insights into why his team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Olympiakos in the second leg of their Europa Conference League (ECL) semi-final clash on Thursday.
Aston Villa’s journey in the Europa Conference League came to an end at the semi-final stage, paving the way for Olympiakos to advance to the final showdown against Fiorentina.
Following a 4-2 loss in the first leg, Aston Villa was unable to overturn the deficit and succumbed to a 2-0 loss in Greece, leading to a 6-2 aggregate defeat.
Ayoub El Kaabi, responsible for a hat-trick in the initial encounter, secured both goals for the home team.
In a post-match interview with TNT Sports, Emery mentioned that his team maintained control throughout the match but lacked efficiency in converting chances.
“Earning a European spot last season was a milestone for us, and this year, participating was a source of joy. However, winning in this competition is a challenging task, and we are still in the process of development,” Emery expressed.
“Olympiakos rightfully earned their place in the final. Our downfall began in the first leg at home when we failed to compete effectively. Although we started the first half of this match strongly and maintained possession, our finishing let us down,” he added.
“For Aston Villa, returning to European competition after a prolonged absence has been a valuable experience, and we look forward to continuing in Europe next season.”
Emery also touched upon their disappointment and the need to quickly regroup from this setback, emphasizing the team’s change in status following the first leg of the tie.