Aston Villa have it all to do after we suffered a 4-2 defeat to Olympiacos in the first leg of our Europa Conference League semi-final tie.
Two goals within the opening half hour for the visitors seemingly set the tone for what was to come, but Villa showed great spirit and resilience to restore parity just after half-time.
READ MORE: What Unai Emery said in assessment of Villa’s defeat to Olympiacos
However, there wasn’t to be a stirring comeback in what would have been one of the most memorable nights at Villa Park in recent times, as our defensive woes halted our momentum and saw the Greek giants take a significant lead into the reverse fixture next week.
Our focus now switches to Brighton on Sunday, but Unai Emery will know that we’ll have to prepare diligently for next Thursday night and put in another huge shift if we are to advance to the final later this month.
Emery left frustrated by chaotic Villa
The Villa boss conceded that he was frustrated with our performance in his post-match interview, and it was clear why as we didn’t display the level of control and possession that he has always demanded.
Instead, we became involved in a back-and-forth thriller which would have delighted the neutral, and it was certainly entertaining, but it’s not the style and way of playing that Emery has been implementing.
During a brief break in the game in the first half, he could be seen berating some of his players, particularly Douglas Luiz and Robin Olsen, and he’ll no doubt be looking for a significant improvement in our next two games to get back to the brand of football that has helped us get to this stage.
Pau Torres, Emi Martinez, Youri Tielemans absences critical
While Martinez and Tielemans missing out was enforced due to suspension and injury, Emery opted to leave Pau Torres on the bench for this one as he conceded that we’re playing a lot of games, and the Spanish centre-half can’t play in every one.
Coupled with our long-term absentees, we missed these key individuals on Thursday night for what they give us in possession with their composure, patience and technical ability.
Villa struggled all night with the high energy press that Olympiacos used in our defensive third, and it stifled our ability to build-up play in our usual way, and instead we went more direct. That played into their hands and it was a big reason why Emery was so frustrated after the game.
Test of character for Douglas Luiz
The Villa midfielder has had a dip in form for a few weeks now, but this was a tough night for him as he not only conceded the penalty that made it 3-2, but then missed a spot-kick of his own.
That could prove to be a decisive moment in this tie as having to score once to level it on aggregate feels a whole lot more doable than having to score twice in what will be a fiery atmosphere.
While it’s important that we don’t forget his brilliant form through most of this season, Emery needs – and demands – more from Luiz than arguably any other player given how important he is to how we function given his role as the orchestrator and tempo-setter, and so he needs to put this behind him quickly and produce a leader’s reaction next week.
Big Sunday ahead, tie not over
Given Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea on Thursday, a win for Villa at Brighton and a Spurs defeat at Liverpool on Sunday would secure fourth place and Champions League football for next season.
It’s a huge incentive as we travel to the Amex Stadium, and even for the tired minds and legs in the squad currently, that will hopefully give them an extra boost of adrenaline to get them through and produce a winning performance.
Should we achieve it, to take that momentum into our trip to Greece next Thursday would be huge, and although it feels like every week for the past two months has been massive, this really is a season-defining few days coming up.
Crucial European experience
Naturally, there is an overriding feeling of disappointment and frustration that on such a big night for the club, we weren’t able to cap it off with an all-important win.
That said, this is a fundamental learning experience for these players in Europe, and even in defeat, they must learn lessons and improve on where we went wrong to be better in the future.
We’re already guaranteed a Europa League spot for next season and it could yet be an even bigger achievement, but Thursday night arguably showed us that we’ve got a lot way to go to reach a certain level to compete with the best in Europe, and it’s vital that we learn from that experience to be as ready as possible for even tougher assignments.
