Athens’ AEK Arena is the venue as Olympiacos and Fiorentina go head-to-head in the third Europa Conference League final.
Europe’s third-tier competition will crown its third different winner on Wednesday, May 29, with the kick-off scheduled for 8.00 pm (BST).
Reigning holders West Ham United are out of the way, but last season’s beaten finalists, Fiorentina, are still in the picture.
Keen to improve on a runner-up finish in 2022/23, the Italians face the competition’s surprise package Olympiacos in the heart of Greek football.
It’s been a phenomenal run for the club, who could lift their maiden European title in the backyard of their bitter rivals AEK Athens.
Where to watch the Europa Conference League final on TV?
Fans in the United Kingdom can watch the Europa Conference League final on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, while CBS Sports Network has the broadcast rights in the United States.
If you want to watch the game, check out the Europa Conference League broadcast partners on UEFA’s official website or find live Europa Conference League streams here.
Olympiacos’ route to the final
After firing two permanent managers in the first half of the season, Olympiacos might have found the winning formula with Jose Luis Mendilibar.
The 63-year-old Spaniard, who steered Sevilla to Europa League glory in 2022/23, took charge of the Greek heavyweights in February and made them only the second Greek team to reach a senior UEFA final.
It’s been a long journey for Olympiacos, starting with a 2-1 aggregate win against Genk in the Europa League third qualifying round before a comprehensive 6-1 demolition of Serbian outfit Cukaricki in the play-offs.
However, they didn’t fare well in their Europa League group, suffering three defeats in six matches, but still secured a third-place finish and a switch to the Europa Conference League.
By the time Olympiacos’ European campaign continued in Europe’s third-tier tournament, Diego Martinez and Carlos Carvalhal were already parts of the club’s history.
Mendilibar assumed the reins only four days before a knockout play-off tie against Ferencvaros, which the Greek side navigated by the skin of their teeth, courtesy of a pair of 1-0 wins in both legs.
Despite entering their last-16 tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos had to pull off a miraculous comeback to reach the quarter-finals following a 4-1 home defeat in the first leg.
A stunning 6-1 second-leg triumph at the TSC Arena saw them set up a mouth-watering last-four date against Turkish giants Fenerbahce, where they needed penalties to progress.
If anyone doubted Olympiacos’ continental credentials before their semi-final showdown against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, they were in for a compelling reassessment.
Villa Park was stunned as Mendilibar’s side hammered the Lions 4-2 before a 2-0 home win in the return fixture to reach the final.
Fiorentina’s route to the final
Fiorentina are not new to European finals, with this being their sixth appearance in a senior title-deciding contest on the continental front.
It doesn’t mean they’re in a better position to hoist the trophy, especially considering their ominous track record of four defeats from their five previous title deciders.
But reaching back-to-back European finals is no small feat, not least because La Viola had to start in the Conference League play-off round and come from behind immediately to see off Rapid Wien.
Despite commencing their Group F campaign with two consecutive 2-2 draws, Vincenzo Italiano’s team topped their group as one of the two unbeaten sides, along with Ferencvaros (W3, D3).
Similarly to Olympiacos, Fiorentina had to get past an Israeli side in the knockouts, though they at least skipped the play-off stage as group winners.
Their last-16 tie against Maccabi Haifa wasn’t plain sailing as they fought back from a deficit twice to win the first leg 4-3 before a 1-1 home draw in the return leg.
The next to fall to Fiorentina’s run to the final were Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen, but it took the Italians plenty of effort to secure their passage.
Both legs ended scoreless before the Tuscan outfit reaped the benefits of a numerical advantage to score two unanswered extra-time goals and progress as 2-0 aggregate victors.
Club Brugge were Fiorentina’s opponents in another dramatic semi-final.
A 3-2 first-leg triumph at Artemio Franchi was barely sufficient. Lucas Beltran had to convert an 85th-minute penalty to give Italiano’s charges a 1-1 draw in Belgium and nod them into the final.
Prediction
It’s almost impossible to imagine what kind of atmosphere Olympiacos’ famous ultras will create, as their passionate support is legendary and can ignite a stadium like no other.
Their chants echoing through the stands will reverberate throughout the 32,500-capacity stadium, which could make even the most seasoned opponents freeze on the spot.
With the first European trophy open for the taking and their supporters making a noise of epic proportions, Olympiacos are our favourite to climb to the podium.
