Olympiacos have beaten Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League semi-final, setting up a thrilling final against Vincenzo Italiano’s Fiorentina in Athens.
The Viola were left heartbroken in last season’s Conference League final at the Fortuna Arena after West Ham edged out a 2-1 win, forcing Italiano’s side to accept the silver medal. Their defeat gave the Florence side an extra burst of motivation this term, seen in their strong campaign.
Fiorentina topped a group containing Ferencvaros, Genk and Cukaricki before progressing to the knockout stages, where they took wins over Maccabi Haifa in the Round of 16 and Viktoria Plzen in the quarter-finals. They overcame the tensions of the semi-final against Club Brugge to book their spot in the final.
Olympiacos shocked Aston Villa in the first leg of their Conference League semi-final tie at Villa Park on May 2nd, picking up a 4-2 win over the Premier League outfit, and they replicated that success in their return clash in Piraeus, picking up a 2-0 win to take them to the final.
Football Italia
