sport news PLAYER RATINGS: Moussa Diaby stood out for Aston Villa during 4-2 defeat by ... trends now
View
comments
Aston Villa were unable to overcome Olympiacos at Villa Park and face a tough task in Greece after falling 4-2 to the travellers on Thursday evening.
The hosts were able to pull themselves level with the travellers after Jose Luis Mendilibar's side gave themselves a two-goal cushion courtesy of Ayoub El Kaabi, who would end the night with a hat-trick.
While goals from Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby either side of half-time kept Unai Emery's men in the hunt, their sloppiness in the face of aggressive European opposition told, with Douglas Luiz first conceding a penalty for El Kaabi to slot home.
Santiago Hezze's deflected strike moved Olympiacos back into the lead, and Villa were unable to claw back from the deficit, with Luiz missing a late penalty and giving them everything to do next week.
Here, Mail Sport's Lewis Steele reviews the hosts' performances on a troublesome night in the Midlands.
Douglas Luiz conceded at one end and missed from the spot at the other in Villa's Europa Conference League clash
Olympiacos put on a rampant showing at Villa Park to return home with a two-goal cushion
Robin Olsen stepped up in Emiliano Martinez's wake and had a night to forget in his place
This was his big night, with the Swede stepping in for suspended No 1 Emi Martinez. He has won titles in Denmark and his native Sweden, plus World Cup quarter-finals and at the cauldron of Stadio Olimpico for Roma, so it was a bit much to suggest this was the biggest game of his career but it felt defining. Started well but was not commanding enough.
Matty Cash - 5Was slow getting out for Olympiacos’s second goal and played Ayoub El Kaabi onside. Got up and down the right flank well but the final ball was often lacking.
Ezri Konsa - 4Not his finest
