Olympiakos win Europa Conference League vs Fiorentina to delight of Premier League owner

Olympiakos win Europa Conference League vs Fiorentina to delight of Premier League owner

Ayoub El Kaabi scored his 33rd and most important goal of the season as Olympiakos became the first Greek side to win a European trophy.

El Kaabi was anonymous before he struck four minutes from the end of extra-time to win the European Conference League for Olympiakos, who knocked out Aston Villa in the semi-finals. Olympiakos made history at the home of their fierce rivals AEK Athens and it was a sweet moment for supremo Evangelos Marinakis who also owns Nottingham Forest.

There was more heartbreak for Fiorentina and they lost the final for the second successive year after falling to West Ham 12 months ago. The Serie A side squandered more than enough chances to win the final, only for their finishing to let them down.

El Kaabi showed them how it is done and he displayed great technique to glance his header home.

On-loan Wolves winger Daniel Podence went close in the opening minutes for Olympiakos when Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano did well to get his left hand to his low shot. The final faded after a bright start and Fiorentina’s Giacomo Bonaventura, who scored their equaliser in last season’s final against West Ham, shot weakly at Olympiakos goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis.

Podence was one shinning light on the left for Olympiakos and Terracciano saved his glancing header at close range. Fiorentina created more, only for their finishing to let them down and Nicolas Gonzalez mishit his shot over from a great chance.

The prolific El Kaabi was quiet for Olympiakos and he collided with Terracciano during a rare sight of goal. Fiorentina’s wastefulness continued and Nikola Milenkovic headed wide from former Liverpool midfielder Arthur’s corner before Christian Kouame’s mishit shot was punched away by Tzolakis.