El Kaabi hat-trick hands Olympiakos upset away win at Aston Villa

BIRMINGHAM : Ayoub El Kaabi netted a hat-trick as Olympiakos stunned Aston Villa with a 4-2 away win in their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday to give themselves a strong chance of becoming only the second Greek side to compete in a European club competition final.

Olympiakos went 2-0 up inside the opening half hour and although Villa pulled level through Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby, the Greek side scored two more goals in the second half to secure a handy advantage ahead of next Thursday’s return leg.

Mbala Nzola netted a stoppage time winner for Fiorentina to beat Belgium’s Club Brugge 3-2 in the other semi-final, first leg clash.

Riccardo Sottil and Andrea Belotti scored for the Italians but a Hans Vanaken penalty and a second half equaliser from Thiago made it 2-2 with Brugge looking to hold on for the draw after Raphael Onyedika was sent off in the 61st minute.

But substitute Nzola cut away a rebound to hand Fiorentina victory.

El Kaabi’s 16th minute left footed effort from close range was initially disallowed for offside but then awarded after a VAR check showed Matty Cash played him on.

The Moroccan international then further silenced Villa Park with an expertly-timed run onto Daniel Podence’s chipped pass to extend the lead in the 29th minute, beating the offside trap again and having time for a couple of touches before tucking the ball away.

Villa pulled one back in stoppage time at the end of the first half as Cash’s surging run down the right found Diaby, who in turn picked out Watkins’ run from deep.

The start of the second half was delayed for a medical emergency in the crowd but seven minutes after the restart Diaby brought the hosts level, netting from a tight angle at the near post