Aston Villa's Europa Conference League Dreams in Jeopardy After Chaotic Semi-Final Loss

Villa Captain McGinn Admits to "Chaos" in 4-2 Home Defeat

Aston Villa captain John McGinn was left to rue a "chaotic" Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg loss to Olympiakos on Thursday, as the Greek side stunned the Premier League club with a 4-2 victory. Ayoub El Kaabi's hat-trick proved devastating for Villa at Villa Park, leaving their hopes of reaching their first European final in over four decades hanging by a thread.

A Night to Forget for Villa

Villa started the match brightly and took an early lead through Ollie Watkins, but El Kaabi's first-half equaliser gave Olympiakos a foothold in the tie. The game descended into chaos after the break as both sides traded goals, with El Kaabi's two further strikes and a fine effort from Hwang Ui-jo securing the away win for the Greek champions.

McGinn admitted that Villa were second best on the night, saying: "It was a chaotic performance from us. We didn't play to our strengths, and Olympiakos deserved the win. We need to learn from our mistakes and come back stronger in the second leg."