Aston Villa are gearing up for their decisive Europa Conference League duel with Olympiacos on Thursday night, with Moussa Diaby now sharing his verdict on the challenge that the Villans must overcome.
After losing 4-2 in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final, Aston Villa must now overturn a two-goal deficit away from home against Olympiacos.
The Greek side shocked the Villans at Villa Park last week, as Unai Emery’s plans to take a sufficient lead into the second leg were derailed, seeing Ayoub El Kaabi net a hattrick and Santiago Hezze secure a two-goal lead for the visitors.
Overcoming Olympiacos to reach the final now becomes an incredibly difficult task for Villa to navigate, but one in which the instructions will be clear, score more than two goals and keep a clean sheet.
That in itself will be a significant ask for Villa, who have maintained just two clean sheets away from home in the Conference League this term however, one of Emery’s stars has expressed his confidence ahead of the tie decider.
Moussa Diaby expresses confidence ahead of Olympiacos clash
One player who made the difference in the first leg was Moussa Diaby, who scored and assisted at Villa Park to give the Midlands club a glimmer of hope to take to Greece.
Speaking to the media ahead of the fixture, as relayed by The Athletic, the Frenchman shared what he thinks will happen in the game, being bold in his thoughts in the build-up to Thursday night’s clash.
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Diaby said that Villa ‘will win’ away to Olympiacos, and explained what his side must do in order to cause an upset to Jose Luis Mendilibar’s squad.
“We have the mentality of winners and I want to get to the final. I believe in my team.
“We will win there, for sure. We have to go there full of energy, fight until the end. I know Villa will do this. We have to show them Aston Villa are the best.”
It’s words of utter confidence from the 24-year-old, who made no mistake in placing his full trust in his teammates, who will be well aware of the task at hand.
Aston Villa must be at their best to beat Olympiacos
The first leg seemed as though Villa had somewhat underestimated the threat that Olympiacos could produce, as Emery’s game plan was sussed out from kick-off, leaving the Villans in a position of struggle.
The sheer clinical streak of El Kaabi was devastating, as the Moroccan netted three on the night from his three shots on target, leaving no time for Villa’s back line to regroup as the Greek side pressed high and showed no fear.
While Olympiacos dominated at Villa Park, the advantage that Emery’s side now has is an understanding of how to get the better of the opposition, with the hopeful return of Emi Martinez set to be pivotal to breaking down the hosts.
The Villans could not play out calmly from the back as they usually do due to Martinez’s absence, seeing the defence operate with little trust in one another, allowing the likes of El Kaabi to smell blood.
A ruthless streak both in attack and defence must be applied in Greece, with there now no room for any slip-ups if Villa’s European dream is to continue.
Diaby’s bold words epitomised the level of belief that the Premier League outfit must take to Piraeus, with confidence needing to be at an all-time high to pass the ultimate test.
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