Aston Villa v Olympiacos: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Aston Villa are the last English club standing in European competition this season as they prepare to welcome Olympiacos to Villa Park for the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final tie.

Thursday's match will be Villa's first European semi-final in 42 years and they head into the contest having lost just three of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

Greek giants Olympiacos are contesting their first semi-final in European competition and, like Villa, they are in form, losing just one of their last seven games.

Both sides needed penalties to make it through to the last four, Villa overcoming Lille and Olympiacos getting the better of Fenerbahce, but which team, if either, will come out on top in Thursday's first leg?

Aston Villa v Olympiacos betting tips and predictions

Aston Villa to win and both teams to score - 21/10

Villa's ability to juggle domestic and European commitments has been impressive and they head into this game in strong form, despite surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Chelsea last time out.

That draw did extend Villa's unbeaten home record to six matches, four of which have ended in victory, but clean-sheets have been hard to come by, with Unai Emery's men keeping just two across their last 13 home fixtures.

Emery could of course be key to Villa's success on Thursday given his record in Europe - he led Sevilla to three Europa League titles before adding a fourth with Villarreal in 2021 - and he has guided his current side to six wins from six home games in this season's Conference League.

Olympiacos also have a former Europa League-winning manager in their dugout in Jose Luis Mendilibar, who also led Sevilla to glory in that competition just last season, and the Greek side should not be underestimated.

The Piraeus-based club have scored in six of their last seven games and netted six away to Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier in this season's competition.

They are certainly capable of scoring at Villa Park, but having won just three of their 19 previous European games on English soil, that may be as good as it gets on the night for Olympiacos.

Morgan Rogers to score or assist - 11/10

It hasn't taken long for Morgan Rogers to settle in at Villa Park, with the January signing from Middlesbrough starting nine of the last 10 games.

Emery certainly appears to be a fan of the 21-year-old, who looks good value to provide another telling contribution on Thursday after netting in his last two matches against Bournemouth and Chelsea.

Rogers has three goals and an assist to his name in a Villa shirt and coupled with what he produced at Boro over the first half of the season, he has now reached double figures in both of those departments.

With doubts surrounding the fitness of Youri Tielemans, who came off against Chelsea with a groin injury, and his replacement in that game, Moussa Diaby, failing to deliver, Rogers should start again against Olympiacos and, if he does, he looks a strong candidate to score or assist.

Panagiotis Retsos to be booked - 13/10

Olympiacos will be boosted by the availability of Greek international centre-back and former Sheffield United loanee Panagiotis Retsos for Thursday's first leg.

The 25-year-old missed the second leg of their quarter-final tie with Fenerbahce through suspension and he has been booked four times in European competition this season.

Retsos has also been cautioned nine times in this season's Super League Greece, more than any other Olympiacos player.

With Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey among those he could come up against, he may again fall foul of the referee at Villa Park.

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Aston Villa v Olympiacos odds

Aston Villa - 2/5
Draw - 15/4
Olympiacos - 13/2

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.