Aston Villa captain John McGinn: “Tonight I think the game plan was perfect in the first half. We’ve got to be really proud of how we played. The goal was extremely disappointing. The tie was unfortunately lost in the first leg – we didn’t control the game or manage it well enough, the performance was poor.

“For us going into more European competition next season we need to learn how to manage moments a lot better. Of course we wanted to do better this year and get to a European final but we will do everything we can to get ourselves back into this position and get to a final.

“I think it has been a big learning curve for us. It’s not been a smooth journey, we got to the semi-final and were down to the bare bones a wee bit. However those of us that were out there across the two legs lost to the better team and the scoreline shows that.”

Unai Emery, speaking to TNT Sports: “We got to be in Europe at the end of last season and this year we enjoyed it but to win is very difficult and we are in the process.

“They deserve to be in the final. We lost it in the first 90 minutes at home and we were not competitive. We started this first half well, they scored but we controlled the game but we were not clinical.

“This is an experience for us at Aston Villa after a long time and again we are going to compete in Europe next year. Of course we are a little bit disappointed, a little bit frustrated but we have to move on quick. We started the first leg and maybe we were favourites but after the first leg we weren’t.

“We have to try to finish the season and for it to be very amazing [to qualify for the Champions League].”

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.

It concluded a miserable season on the continent for Premier League sides as there is no English representative in a final for the first time since 2019/20 and Unai Emery will see this as a huge missed opportunity to win a fifth European trophy in a tournament they were favourites for.

This season’s European finals are complete, and there are no English sides involved.

Wednesday 22 May: Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta

Wednesday 29 May: Fiorentina vs Olympiacos

Saturday 1 June: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Oh my goodness! Bayer Leverkusen have done it! A 97th minute equaliser has preserved their unbeaten run to 49 games! They were heading through against Roma on aggregate, but put everything into getting a 2-2 draw! Incredible!

Europa Conference League: Olympiakos 2-0 Aston Villa (6-2 agg)

Europa League: Atalanta 3-0 Marseille (4-1 agg),

Europa League: Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Roma (4-2 agg)

That’s it! A European journey that began in Edinburgh in July ends in a 2-0 defeat to Olympiacos in the semi-finals in May. Villa fall just short of returning to a major European final for the first time since 1982, but the damage was done in the first leg and that 4-2 defeat at Villa Park.

Villa had to be perfect tonight but conceded early to Ayoub El Kaabi, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg and required jut 10 minutes to get off the mark here. Villa dominated the contest but Olympiacos defended superbly, as the Greek side held on for a famous win. El Kaabi then wrapped up a 6-2 aggreggate win.

Just five minutes of added time to go.

Atalanta have beaten Marseille in the Europa League, while Leverkusen are losing to Roma but are going through on aggregate as it stands…

88 mins: Villa, of course, could still qualify for the Champions League with just one win from their final two fixtures of the season, against Liverpool and Crystal Palace, or if Tottenham fail to win any of their remaining three.

It’s been an incredible season under Unai Emery, even if they have fallen short tonight.

85 mins: It’s a famous night for the Greek side Olympiacos, who are heading for a first European final in their history and will travel south to Athens to play Fiorentina.

IT’S BEEN GIVEN! The length of the check told you it was tight, but El Kaabi was onside after Konsa took a step back to play him on. El Kaabi took a touch and thrashed a finish between Martinez’s legs.

FIVE goals in a one semi-fina tie for El Kaabi!

And that’s it for Villa. There will be no European title under Emery this season.