Aston Villa will be eager to turn their European fate around in Piraeus on Thursday night, with the latest Olympiacos injury news a significant blow for the hosts.
Unai Emery will hope his side can overturn a two-goal deficit against Olympiacos this evening, as Aston Villa prepare to duel for a spot in the Europa Conference League final.
The first leg of the semi-final went against what the Premier League side would have wanted, as Olympiacos made Villa Park their own, winning 4-2 in Birmingham to carry a two-goal cushion back to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
READ MORE: Aston Villa injury latest ahead of Conference League tie vs Olympiacos
Villa now face an uphill battle to meet Fiorentina in the final, however, stranger things have happened in European football than a semi-final comeback.
While Emery would have hoped to have more of his squad fit for the decisive clash, Olympiacos themselves are suffering an injury crisis, with the latest update from Jose Luis Mendilibar’s camp making for interesting reading.
Olympiacos hit with double injury blow ahead of Aston Villa clash
As reported yesterday after Mendilibar’s press conference ahead of Thursday night’s game, journalist Konstantinos Lianos confirmed that two Olympiacos players are doubts.
Lianos relayed that defensive duo Omar Richards and Francisco Ortega are injured, with there now uncertainty about whether Richards will play.
The Nottingham Forest loanee would have been the ideal replacement for Ortega at left-back however, with both players out of contention, it’s expected that Mendilibar could start Quini on the left side.
At 34 years old, the right-back could be forced to cover for the injury-plagued left side, something that could see Emery’s eyes light up ahead of the fixture.
Aston Villa could exploit Olympiacos injury problem
Considering that Villa need to score at least two goals with no reply to take the game to extra time, Emery will be encouraged to learn of the weakness that could unfold on Olympiacos’ left side of all areas.
Having the electrifying talent of Leon Bailey to unleash on the makeshift left-back will excite Villa, who have found joy on countless occasions this season by allowing the Jamaican to express himself on the flank.
The 26-year-old is arguably Villa’s most direct player, and one of the most dangerous in the Europa Conference League, averaging 3.02 successful take-ons per 90 in the tournament this term, via FBref.
If Bailey can isolate the full-back on Thursday evening, Villa could find great joy in utilising the Jamaica international’s trickery, something that could assist the visitors in easing the deficit.
That being said, Olympiacos’ injury situation must not be considered an advantage for the Villans, who themselves carry an extensive list of unavailable players to Greece, something that Mendilibar’s side could equally regard as a plus.
It’s poised to be a European blockbuster between the two sides, who both have clear objectives of what it will take to reach the final.
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