El Kaabi nets extra-time winner to fire Olympiacos to Europa Conference League glory
Olympiacos became the first Greek side to win a major European trophy after Ayoub El Kaabi netted an extra-time winner in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.
Olympiacos came into the contest looking to make history at the home of their rivals AEK Athens, while Fiorentina were hoping to make amends for last season’s final defeat to West Ham United.
The encounter got off to an exciting start, with both sides creating early chances in the third edition of the Europa Conference League final.
The two teams began to cancel one another out, ensuring the match descended into a scrappy affair where clearcut chances were few and far between.
A fear of losing ultimately resulted in a goalless 90 minutes, sending the Europa Conference League final to extra time for the very first time.
Just as the final appeared to be heading towards extra-time, El Kaabi found the crucial breakthrough to etch his name in Olympiacos history.
The 30-year-old managed to get his head to Santiago Hezze’s low cross, sending the ball past a motionless Pietro Terracciano at the near post.
Moments later, the final whistle blew to the delight of the Olympiacos contingent, ensuring Jose Luis Mendilibar could celebrate winning back-to-back European trophies after lifting the Europa League with Sevilla last season.
Olympiacos made a positive start to their first-ever European final, with Daniel Podence forcing Terracciano to make an important save inside the opening five minutes.
After surviving that early scare, Fiorentina briefly thought they had taken the lead when Cristiano Biraghi’s low cross found a way past Konstantinos Tzolakis, only to see the effort ruled out for offside against Nikola Milenkovic.
The Italian side ultimately took confidence from that moment as they continued to pile the pressure of Tzolakis’s goal.
The Olympiacos shot-stopper was required to deny Giacomo Bonaventura and Roma loanee Andrea Belotti in the space of two minutes.
It was then Olympiaco’s turn to go close as Podence made a darting run to meet a near-post corner, steering his header straight at the grateful Terracciano.
After an exciting start to the contest, the chances started to dry up as the half wore on, ensuring the tense final remained goalless at the break.
The pressure of the occasion appeared to be weighing heavy on both sides as the second half started in a similar cagey manner, with the respective teams desperate to avoid making a costly mistake.
As the contest moved past the hour-mark, Vincenzo Italiano’s troops created a couple of promising openings, with Milenkovic heading wide from a corner shortly before Christian Kouame’s mis-hit shot was awkwardly saved by Tzolakis.
The Greek side then threatened to break the deadlock in the 80th minute when Vicente Iborra sent the ball agonisingly wide from Andre Horta’s inviting delivery.
With neither side able to find a breakthrough, extra time was required to determine who would join Roma and West Ham on the list of Europa Conference League winners.
Former Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic experienced the first chance of extra time, cutting inside onto his right foot, before sending a low strike towards the bottom corner, only to see Terracciano make a superb stop at full stretch.
Terracciano’s opposite number had little to do in the first half of extra-time, but he was required to make a strong stop from Jonathan Ikone in the second period.
With the lottery of penalties looming, El Kaabi made the decisive intervention to clinch the trophy with his 11th Europa Conference League goal of the season.
The Moroccan forward got across his man to meet Hezze’s inswinging cross, stooping low to send his header in at the near post, sparking scenes of wild jubilation among the Olympiacos support.
The Greek giants saw out the remaining moments to celebrate their first major European trophy, leaving Fiorentina to reflect upon a second successive defeat in the Europa Conference League final.
