Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

Reconvening astatine Villa Park for the 2nd limb of their all-English Europa League semi-final, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest volition clash again connected Thursday evening.

Forest clasp a slim pb aft past week's opener, but Villa boast a superb location grounds successful Europe; whoever prevails, the aggregate victor volition proceed to the final, facing either Braga oregon Freiburg successful Istanbul aboriginal this month.

Match preview

After reaching the Conference League semis successful 2024 and the Champions League quarter-finals past season, Aston Villa are aiming to instrumentality the adjacent measurement and marque their archetypal continental last successful a generation.

Several decades person passed since Villa bushed Bayern Munich successful the 1982 European Cup decider, and that hold volition spell connected should they neglect to overturn a 1-0 shortage connected Thursday.

Last week, Nottingham Forest established a slender pb successful their all-Midlands tie, arsenic Chris Wood emphatically dispatched a second-half punishment aft Lucas Digne had intelligibly handled the ball.

Then, seeking to remainder cardinal men and rotate betwixt 2 immense European fixtures, Unai Emery saw his 2nd drawstring beaten astatine location by relegation-haunted Tottenham Hotspur. 

His listless broadside managed conscionable 1 interaction successful the Spurs container earlier fractional clip and hardly improved aft the break, going down to a tame 2-1 decision - their 5th nonaccomplishment successful 8 Premier League matches.

Though the Villans person suffered 3 consecutive defeats for the archetypal clip since 2024, they are grimly clinging connected to 5th spot and inactive person Champions League qualification wrong their grasp.

Now, they indispensable power absorption to producing a second-leg fightback, having fared truthful good en way to the Europa League semis; Emery's men finished 2nd successful the league phase, earlier easing past Lille and Bologna.

The omens are good: the Birmingham nine person won their past 9 European fixtures astatine Villa Park - besides scoring successful 31 of the past 32 - and their Basque brag is simply a proven adept astatine this level.

A four-time Europa League winner, Emery past mislaid a two-legged necktie successful UEFA's second-tier tourney immoderate 14 years ago, subsequently progressing from 22 successful a row.

Also unbeaten successful 10 location games against Forest since 1994 - including January's Premier League fixture - astatine slightest precedent suggests Villa tin recover.

However, overmuch has changed since that 3-1 league nonaccomplishment for the Tricky Trees, with Vitor Pereira's accomplishment successful February sparking an unexpected revival.

The Portuguese manager took immoderate clip to triumph implicit sceptical supporters, but his methods yet took clasp and Forest are connected fire.

A stunning 10-game unbeaten tally has not lone eased relegation fears but besides taken them to the precise brink of a European final.

Their champion undefeated streak for a decennary has featured 7 wins and plentifulness of goals, and Forest moved six points wide of the Premier League driblet portion by putting 3 past Chelsea on Monday. 

Despite Pereira besides resting prima players, Taiwo Awoniyi struck either broadside of an Igor Jesus spot kick, importantly boosting their combat for top-flight survival.

Now, the East Midlands broadside volition purpose to decorativeness the occupation they started past Thursday and advancement from their archetypal continental semi-final for 42 years.

Pereira has already steered them past his erstwhile nine Fenerbahce, positive Midtjylland and Porto to scope the past four, reigniting a dormant European tradition.

The Tricky Trees tin boast 2 European Cup wins to Villa's one, portion they person mislaid conscionable 1 of their past 13 knockout ties aft winning the archetypal limb - and that was the infamous 1984 UEFA Cup semi against Anderlecht.

Aston Villa Europa League form:

W W W W W L

Aston Villa signifier (all competitions):

D W W L L L

Nottingham Forest Europa League form:

L L W D W W

Nottingham Forest signifier (all competitions):

D W W W W W

Team News

Inevitably, each of Aston Villa's main men volition instrumentality - peculiarly aft Emery's reserves underwhelmed against Spurs - and Ollie Watkins leads that list.

Villa skipper John McGinn missed Sunday's decision with a insignificant muscular problem, but helium should beryllium backmost successful the hosts' squad connected Thursday.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Amadou Onana tin retrieve from a calf strain, but Ross Barkley is ineligible and Boubacar Kamara is inactive injured.

While Watkins is Villa's apical scorer with 4 Europa League goals this season, Morgan Rogers has been straight progressive successful 5 goals from six location appearances truthful far.

Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus has been progressive successful the astir distant goals (five); helium has besides recorded the astir shots (34) and shots connected people (16) successful the contention overall.

The Brazilian striker partnered Awoniyi astatine Chelsea, but the second is not connected Forest's UEFA squad list, truthful Wood volition pb their beforehand enactment successful Birmingham.

Pereira made 8 changes connected Monday, with Luca Netz getting his archetypal league commencement alongside respective fringe players, but a cameo quality by prima antheral Morgan Gibbs-White could beryllium costly.

Although the England planetary avoided concussion, helium did prolong a heavy chopped aft colliding with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Forest were already without Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare and Murillo; Dan Ndoye is inactive a doubt, portion Nicolo Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John Victor and Willy Boly are each sidelined.

Aston Villa imaginable starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bogarde, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Nottingham Forest imaginable starting lineup:

Ortega; Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White; Jesus, Wood

We say: Aston Villa 1-1 Nottingham Forest (after other time; Nottingham Forest triumph 2-1 connected aggregate)

Expect different choky contest, arsenic Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are taking a much cautious attack successful Europe: some person kept 7 cleanable sheets truthful far, including 3 apiece successful the knockout phase.

While Villa started arsenic contention favourites, caller displays suggest they whitethorn beryllium moving retired of gas; meanwhile, Forest person recovered highest signifier astatine conscionable the close time, truthful East tin bushed West successful this large Midlands showdown.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.