Villa Park gets its biggest European night in years this Thursday as Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final. Forest head into the game with something to protect — a 1-0 lead from the first leg at the City Ground — and that slender advantage has put Villa in a position where they cannot afford to sit back and wait for something to happen.
Chris Wood's penalty at the City Ground was the difference in the first leg, and it's a result that made history even before tonight's game. That first leg was the first all-English European semi-final since Manchester United beat Arsenal in the 2008-09 Champions League. This is rare territory, and both sets of supporters know it. The Europa League final — scheduled for Istanbul on May 20 — is now just one tie away.
Villa's task and what they need to do
Unai Emery's side need to score at least once to stay alive. A 1-0 win takes it to extra time. Anything better and they're through outright. The manager will be hoping captain John McGinn is available after he missed the weekend defeat to Spurs, and there are cautious signs he may be fit enough to feature. Amadou Onana, who came off injured during the first leg, remains a doubt — and his absence from midfield is something Villa have yet to fully solve.
The concern for Villa isn't just Forest's lead. It's what Forest have shown in this competition. Nuno Espirito Santo's side have been efficient, defensively disciplined and dangerous on the counter, and they've managed difficult away legs before. They know how to hold a scoreline.
Forest's defensive resolve will be tested
Forest travel to Villa Park missing Murillo and Ola Aina, both sidelined, which does thin their defensive depth slightly. But Morgan Gibbs-White and Wood remain dangerous even in a side set up to defend. Forest will likely look to absorb early pressure, stay compact and threaten on transitions. If Villa get frantic, Forest will punish them.
The atmosphere at Villa Park under the lights for a European semi-final should be something else. Villa have had good home form in this competition, and Emery knows how to set up a team to press with urgency without losing shape. They'll need everything to go right. But stranger things have happened.
Match details: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest | UEFA Europa League Semi-Final, 2nd Leg | May 7, 2026, 9pm CET | Villa Park, Birmingham. Forest lead 1-0 on aggregate (Wood pen, 1st leg). Europa League final: Istanbul, May 20, 2026.
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