Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park for the second leg of their all-English Europa League semi-final on Thursday evening.

Forest carries a narrow advantage following last week’s first leg, yet Villa has an impressive home record in European competitions; the aggregate winner will advance to the final, where they will meet either Braga or Freiburg in Istanbul towards the end of the month.

Match overview

Aston Villa, having reached the Conference League semi-finals in 2024 and the Champions League quarter-finals last season, aims to take the next step towards their first continental final in decades.

It has been several decades since Villa triumphed over Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final, and should they fail to overturn a 1-0 deficit on Thursday, that wait will continue.

Nottingham Forest gained a slender lead in their Midlands derby last week when Chris Wood confidently converted a second-half penalty following a clear handball by Lucas Digne.

The head coach Unai Emery opted to rest key players for the clash with relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur, resulting in a disappointing home loss.

The team managed only one touch in the Tottenham box before the half-time whistle and showed little improvement in the second half, succumbing to a lackluster 2-1 defeat – marking their fifth loss in eight Premier League fixtures.

Although Villa is experiencing their first series of three consecutive defeats since 2024, they remain clinging to fifth position and are still within reach of Champions League qualification.

Now, with a focus on producing a comeback in the second leg, Villa looks to build on a strong performance leading up to the Europa League semi-finals: Emery’s side finished second in the league stage before defeating Lille and Bologna.

Positive signs emerge: the Birmingham club has won their last nine European matches at Villa Park, having scored in 31 of their last 32 contests, and their Basque manager is highly experienced at this level.

A four-time Europa League winner, Emery has not lost a two-legged tie in UEFA’s secondary tournament in the past 14 years, successfully progressing from 22 consecutive fixtures.

Additionally, Villa remains unbeaten at home against Forest in 10 matches since 1994 – including their Premier League meeting in January – indicating that they have a strong chance of recovery.

However, the circumstances have dramatically changed since that 3-1 league defeat for the Tricky Trees, as Vitor Pereira’s appointment in February prompted an unexpected revival.

The Portuguese manager took a moment to earn the trust of skeptical fans, but his techniques ultimately began to take effect, and Forest is now in excellent form.

They have enjoyed a remarkable 10-match unbeaten streak, alleviating relegation concerns and bringing them close to a European final.

This is their best unbeaten streak in ten years, featuring seven victories and plenty of scoring, moving six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone after netting three against Chelsea on Monday.

Despite Pereira making changes to rest his top players, Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice around an Igor Jesus penalty, significantly aiding their battle for survival in the top flight.

Now, the East Midlands outfit seeks to finish the task they started last Thursday and advance from their first continental semi-final in 42 years.

Pereira has guided them past his former club Fenerbahce, as well as Midtjylland and Porto to reach this stage, reviving a previously dormant European tradition.

The Tricky Trees lay claim to two European Cup titles, compared to Villa’s one, and they have only lost one of their last 13 knockout ties after winning the first leg – that being the notorious 1984 UEFA Cup semi against Anderlecht.

Team News

As expected, all key players for Aston Villa are anticipated to return – especially after Emery’s substitutes struggled against Tottenham – with Ollie Watkins headlining that list.

Villa skipper John McGinn sat out Sunday’s defeat due to a slight muscular issue, but he is expected to rejoin the squad on Thursday.

The status of Amadou Onana remains uncertain as he recovers from a calf injury, while Ross Barkley is ineligible, and Boubacar Kamara is still sidelined due to injury.

Watkins is Villa’s leading scorer with four goals in the Europa League this season, whereas Morgan Rogers has directly contributed to five goals in six home appearances so far.

Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus has the most involvement in away goals (five); he leads the tournament in total shots (34) and shots on target (16).

The Brazilian forward partnered Awoniyi during the match against Chelsea, but since the latter is not included in Forest’s UEFA squad list, Wood will spearhead their attack in Birmingham.

Pereira made eight alterations on Monday, with Luca Netz earning his first league start alongside several fringe players, but there may be a significant impact from a cameo appearance by key player Morgan Gibbs-White.

Even though the Inglaterra international avoided a concussion, he sustained a deep cut after colliding with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Forest is already without Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare, and Murillo; Dan Ndoye is uncertain, while Nicolo Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John Victor, and Willy Boly are all unavailable.

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

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

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

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

Anticipate another closely contested fixture, as Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest adopt a more cautious approach in European play: both have secured seven clean sheets thus far, including three each in the knockout rounds.

While Villa initially stood as favorites in the competition, recent performances imply they may be running out of steam; conversely, Forest appears to be hitting peak form at an opportune moment, enabling East to potentially best West in this significant Midlands clash.