Unai Emery’s Aston Villa will square up against Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
The City Ground will play host to the first leg of this Europa League semi-final tie between two Premier League heavyweights, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Both teams are looking to go all the way in the competition, and the first leg result could prove to be decisive.
The home team are have not been at their best this season. They are currently 16th in the Premier League with 39 points in their 34 games. While the Tricky Trees are five points clear of the drop zone, they cannot take anything for granted with four games to go.
However, Forest have been in decent form in recent weeks. Vitor Pereira’s men have been unbeaten in their last five league outings and have won three of those games. They got the better of FC Porto in the quarter-finals and are heading into this fixture on the back of two big wins in the league (4-1 vs Burnley and 5-0 over Sunderland).
While the hosts will be optimistic about their chances of making it to the final, they are going up against the favourites to win the competition, Aston Villa. Unai Emery has already won the competition on four occasions and is looking to make it five by guiding Villa to the title.
The Villans are fifth in the Premier League with 58 points in their 34 outings. They are well-placed to secure a spot in the Champions League and not rely on winning the Europa League to feature in Europe’s premier competition next season.
Villa eased past Bologna in the quarter-finals, but taking down Nottingham Forest won’t be that straightforward. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a shocking 1-0 defeat to Fulham, which certainly does not help. However, they will still be hoping to get the job done here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Vitor Pereira will be without the services of John Victor, Nicolo Savona and Willy Boly because of knee injuries, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo are both unavailable because of thigh injuries.
The home team could line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Matz Sels will continue in goal. Neco Williams and Ola Aina are expected to continue as full-backs, while Jair Cunha will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson will be the two central midfielders in the centre of the park. The duo will provide physicality and control in the centre of the park.
Meanwhile, Morgan Gibbs-White and Omari Hutchinson are expected to feature in the wide areas. They will provide support to the full-backs and width to their attacks. In the final third, Igor Jesus could partner with veteran striker Chris Wood.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Cunha, Williams; Gibbs-White, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson; Wood, Jesus
Aston Villa
Unai Emery does not have any fresh injuries to worry about heading into the semi-final first leg, but he will remain without the services of Boubacar Kamara (knee) and Alysson Edward (muscle) because of injury.
Aston Villa will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Emiliano Martinez will be in goal. The back four will be made up of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne. Cash and Digne as full-backs, while Konsa should line up alongside Torres in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, 22-year-old Lamare Bogarde could form the double pivot alongside Youri Tielemans in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the tempo and ensure they run the show.
Morgan Rogers will be the attacking midfielder for the away team, with John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia featuring on the flanks. Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins will continue to lead the line for Aston Villa when they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bogarde, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have been unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions (W5 D3).
- The Tricky Trees’ 5-0 win over Sunderland was their biggest away win in the Premier League since 1995.
- Aston Villa have failed to win each of their last five away league games, which suggests things could get complicated for them at the City Ground.
- Nottingham Forest last defeated Aston Villa back in December 2024.
- In the two Premier League meetings this season, Unai Emery’s team won 3-1 at home, but could only manage a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
Player to Watch
Igor Jesus
While Nottingham Forest have not been at their best this season, the 25-year-old Brazilian striker is certainly having an impressive debut campaign. Jesus has been involved in 46 matches across competitions, and he has contributed towards 20 goals.
He has seven goals and an assist in his 11 UEFA Europa League outings. The Brazilian forward averages a goal every 88th minute in the competition, which suggests he could have a big say on how things pan out in the first leg. While Aston Villa are likely to dominate the ball, stopping Igor Jesus on the break won’t be easy.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa might carry some baggage from their shock loss to Fulham, but this semi-final away at the City Ground gives Unai Emery’s men the perfect stage to rediscover their edge. As Europa favourites with Unai Emery’s trophy pedigree, Villa are poised to seize control early through their 4-2-3-1 setup.
Nottingham Forest have ridden a wave of form with eight unbeaten games across competitions, but facing Villa’s quality in a high-stakes tie shifts the dynamic entirely. The Tricky Trees may dig in with their 4-4-2 and rely on Igor Jesus’s counter threats, yet holding firm for the full match against Emery’s machine looks a tall order. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team in the first leg.
