Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has provided an explanation for his team’s 4-2 defeat against Olympiakos in the first leg of their Europa Conference League (ECL) semi-final on Thursday.
Ayoub El Kaabi’s hat-trick secured a stunning victory for Olympiakos at Villa Park, although Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby managed to find the net for Emery’s side during the match.
Following the game, Emery expressed his frustration and disappointment, acknowledging that Aston Villa didn’t perform well against the visitors and lacked control of the game.
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“We are frustrated and disappointed; we didn’t play well,” Emery remarked during his post-match interview. “This is the summary I can provide at the outset. We didn’t have control of the game. We were playing too quickly.”
“In many instances, we needed to prevent them from gaining advantageous positions and instead penetrate their box with more intricate passing sequences. They were attacking and playing openly, contrary to our intended strategy.”
“Congratulations to them; they deserve to win the first leg. We will attempt to bounce back, but undoubtedly, they are now considered favorites. We will play at their ground and endeavor to showcase a different performance compared to tonight.”
The return leg is scheduled for next week.