Wood Gives Trees Slender Euro Advantage

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Aston Villa (UEFA Europa League Semi-Final 1st Leg) 30.04.26

Nottingham Forest will go into next Thursday’s second leg Europa League semi final tie with a slender one goal advantage over Aston Villa after a brilliant night Trent side set up a fabulous all Midland affair at Villa Park with a spot in UEFA’s Istanbul final the prize that both Premier League clubs desire.

In a game of few moments it was a late Chris Wood penalty the difference after a Lucas Digne handball inside the box, the New Zealand international rocketing his 71st minute spot kick right footed past Emi Martinez who had earlier made a fabulous save to deny Igor Jesus.

The first half was tense and Reds goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was forced into some early work palming Morgan Rogers attempt wide, whilst a challenge by Elliot Anderson on Ollie Watkins went without warning, on looking back at the video footage it might be that Ando got away with one.

Whilst Villa fans might have screamed for a sending off, Anderson was one of many Nottingham Forest players who turned up on the night, he and Nico Dominguez putting in brilliant performances as the Reds slowly but surely grappled a stronghold in the midfield battle with the likes of Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Amadou Onana.

Gibbs-White and Omari Hutchinson offering persistent threat out wide, the best move of the first half ending with Igor Jesus stabbing goalwards, an effort brilliantly stopped on his line by Martinez who somehow clawed the ball back from going in.

The second half was equally as tense and Aston Villa fluffed their lines for an opening goal when the ball fell to Ollie Watkins inside the area from a deflected Rogers attempt, his reflex shot cannoned straight off Ortega who was fortuitous to be standing in the right place.

As the game looked to be petering out into a draw, a long cross to the back post by Gibbs-White was surprisingly kept in by Hutchinson, with Lucas Digne’s arms aloft as he expected the ball to go out of play, the French full back exposed himself to full ball contact, that left VAR officials with a lengthy look at the replays and after confirming the ball didn’t go out of play before touching Digne’s hand, the verdict by Referee Pinheiro was to award the spot kick.

Enter the courageous Chris Wood, who in just his third start since a long lay off through injury this season, stepped up to take the penalty and blast home Forest a significant advantage.

The Reds then defended deep into the second half with Nikola Milenkovic next to Morato, who only played due to injuries to Murillo and Jair Cunha, both brilliant at centre half during the whole ninety five minutes, the slender lead protected at half time of this two legged tie in which any of these great Midland rivals can still go through, but a good night’s work at the City Ground which will breed even more confidence into a form side already full of confidence, now nine without defeat.

Next up is Chelsea on Bank Holiday Monday in the league, there might be a favour to ask of Aston Villa who play Spurs this weekend, then the two meet at Villa Park to decide who goes through to the Europa League final, with either Braga (themselves with a 2-1 lead) or Freiburg, awaiting the winner.

Forest: Ortega, Aina (Abbott 75), Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus (Yates 90), Wood.