Aston Villa take on the visitors Nottingham in the second leg of UEFA Europa League round of semifinals. First leg result: 0-1. The match will be played on Thursday, May 7th at Villa Park (Birmingham).
Aston Villa FC are aiming as high as possible this season. Under Unai Emery, “The Villans” have become consistently successful. Last season they even played in the UEFA Champions League and reached the playoffs, losing only to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain FC. At the same time, though, they missed out on 5th place in the Premier League despite finishing level on points with Newcastle United FC. Villa’s recent home form has been extremely convincing, especially in European competition where they regularly dominate possession and tempo. The Birmingham side have also improved defensively in recent weeks, conceding very few clear chances even against strong opposition. This campaign also brought some disappointments, including early exits from domestic cups and a weak start in the Premier League. But later they climbed into the top four and confidently secured their place there. In the UEFA Europa League, the English side slipped up only once, unexpectedly losing to modest debutants Go Ahead Eagles. Every other match ended in victory — both in the league phase and in the playoffs against LOSC Lille and Bologna FC 1909.
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Despite their great history, “The Tricky Trees” spent years unable even to escape the Championship. And once they finally returned to the Premier League, they were mostly fighting for survival. Then came the unexpected breakthrough of last season’s 7th-place finish. Still, the club spent a long time inside the top four, so the final result felt disappointing, and eventually Nuno Espírito Santo was “rewarded” with dismissal. Forest have looked far more organized in knockout matches recently, especially away from home where they focus heavily on discipline and counterattacks. Their confidence also clearly grew after eliminating several experienced European opponents during spring. After several more managerial changes, things only stabilized by spring under Vítor Pereira, when the team finally managed to pull away from the relegation zone. At the same time, the English side reached the Europa League playoffs and then eliminated Fenerbahçe S.K., FC Midtjylland, and even FC Porto. Hosting their fellow English rivals from Birmingham in the first leg, Forest also impressed by scoring the only goal of the game. Having won, they will now clearly try to defend their advantage and progress with a draw.
Before these European meetings, “The Villans” had won four of the previous seven encounters, with Nottingham Forest taking two victories. Emery usually learns quickly from setbacks. Back Aston Villa to win the second leg.
Prediction for the match: Aston Villa to win.
