Aston Villa crashed out of the Europa Conference League on Thursday night and midfielder John McGinn has pinpointed a key reason for that defeat.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa had a mountain to climb when they travelled to Olympiacos on Thursday night. Villa were stunned into submission on home turf as an Ayoub El Kaabi hat-trick gave the Greek giants a 4-2 advantage.
Emery challenged his side to pull off a historic comeback in Greece to advance into the Europa Conference League final however, once El Kaabi opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, climbing the mountain became an impossible task.
Villa lost 6-2 on aggregate, and while missing multiple first-team players didn’t help their cause, John McGinn has reflected on a disappointing night.
John McGinn issues Aston Villa verdict after Olympiacos loss
The Villans gave it everything to mount a comeback, dominating 74% of the ball and registering 15 shots on goal.
Sadly, their decision-making slowed them in the final third as the hosts defended resolutely to advance into the final.
Most Villa supporters have seen this as a missed opportunity to win some silverware and would rather have lifted a trophy for the first time in 28 years than qualified for the Champions League.
Captain McGinn – who dreamed of lifting the Conference League this season – has issued his verdict post-match, claiming his side controlled the game well but the damage was done in the first leg.
As per journalist Jacob Tanswell, the Scotsman said:
It was extremely disappointing to lose at the semi-final stage, especially when winning silverware looked like a realistic ambition, but ultimately, competing across multiple fronts has taken its toll on Villa’s squad and they must put this result behind them by finishing the season strong.
Champions League qualification is in Aston Villa’s hands
Despite failing to win their previous two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Brighton, top-four rivals Tottenham saw their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League dented by losing four successive matches.
It means that heading into the final two games, Villa will compete against Europe’s elite next season if Spurs either drop points in any of their final two games, or Emery’s men claim victory against Liverpool or Crystal Palace.
In front of a raucous Villa Park crowd on Monday night, they have a real chance of securing Champions League football against Liverpool while ending Jurgen Klopp’s final away match in charge on a low note.
This will be an added incentive for the hosts, but ultimately, finishing in the top four would be an immense achievement for the club and one that would bolster their profile in the transfer window.
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