Fiorentina to face Olympiacos in Europa Conference League final

Olympiacos have beaten Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League semi-final, setting up a thrilling final against Vincenzo Italiano’s Fiorentina in Athens, APA reports citing The Guardian.

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.