UECL: Villa's trophy hopes severely dented
Aston Villa 2 - 4 Olympiakos "Everything that could have gone wrong, did." Those were the words of one Aston Villa fan as their chances of reaching a first European final since 1982 were severely dented against Olympiakos. The star man on the night for the visitors was Ayoub El Kaabi. He scored a hat-trick, netting twice early on. Ollie Watkins then reduced the deficit for Unai Emery's side and Moussa Diaby equalised moments after the interval. Villa Park was rocking at this point, creating an atmosphere that had not been seen at the famous old stadium for many years. However, Olympiakos roared back into a two-goal lead with a 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. The Greek Super League side have actually never reached a major European final. They played without fear and attacking verve as they pressed and harassed Villa into defensive mist