Unai Emery urges Villa to forget European exit and book Champions League place

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has urged his side to finish the season by booking Champions League football after their European dream ended in a Greek tragedy at Olympiacos. Villa were eyeing a first European final since 1982 but, with the ancient Acropolis in the backdrop of the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, their hopes are now in ruins after a 6-2 aggregate defeat. They travelled to Athens needing a Herculean effort to overturn a 4-2 deficit from the first leg, but limped to a 2-0 defeat on the night, with last week’s hat-trick hero Ayoub El Kaabi scoring the goals which sent the Greek side through to their first-ever European final.