Aston Villa And Nottingham Forest Set Up All-English Europa League Semi-Final

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 07:02 IST

Aston Villa thrash Bologna and Nottingham Forest edge Porto to set up an all English Europa League semi final, Freiburg will face Braga in the other semi final

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest set up an all-English Europa League semi-final after impressive quarter-final victories on Thursday.

Villa swept aside Bologna with a dominant 4-0 win at Villa Park, completing a commanding 7-1 aggregate triumph, while Forest edged FC Porto 1-0 to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Aston Villa Beat Bologna

Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa once again showcased their European pedigree. Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in style, finishing off a slick 14-pass move for his 100th goal for the club. Despite Morgan Rogers missing a penalty, Villa remained in control as Emiliano Buendia and Rogers himself added further goals before Ezri Konsa capped the rout late on.

Reflecting on the performance, captain John McGinn said: “We needed to get the first goal, it was very important. They are a dangerous team away from home," before adding, “A great first half gets us to a semi-final, I’m delighted."

Nottingham Forest Beat FC Porto

At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest capitalised on an early red card for Porto defender Jan Bednarek, who was sent off for a reckless challenge. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the decisive goal, his deflected effort finding the net in the 12th minute. His emotional celebration, holding up a shirt for team-mate Elliot Anderson, underlined the occasion. Porto remained dangerous despite being a man down, hitting the woodwork twice, but Forest held firm to reach their first European semi-final since 1984.

Forest boss Vitor Pereira praised his side, saying: “The club and the supporters deserve it. I have a fantastic team. They have the spirit, character and quality," before adding, “It’s too much to think Villa now. I will think about it after Burnley this weekend."

Freiburg To Face Braga

Elsewhere in the Europa League, SC Freiburg advanced to their first European semi-final with a 6-1 aggregate win over Celta Vigo, setting up a clash with Sporting Braga, who staged a comeback against Real Betis.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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