Aston Villa are on the brink of something special—a spot in the Europa League final—but first, they'll need to overcome a first-leg deficit when they host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Thursday night.

After a 1-0 loss in the opening leg, the Villans have everything to play for in this all-English semi-final showdown. And if history is any guide, Unai Emery's squad has every reason to believe they can flip the script.

Let's talk about the home advantage: Villa haven't lost to Forest at Villa Park in their last 10 meetings, a streak stretching all the way back to a 2-0 defeat in October 1994. That's over three decades of dominance on their own turf. Before the first leg, Villa had also won three of their last five overall encounters with Forest, with the only recent blemish being a last-gasp 2-1 loss in December 2024 courtesy of Anthony Elanga.

Now, with a final berth on the line, Emery's men have a golden chance to reassert their authority. And if anyone knows how to navigate European knockout stages, it's Emery. Since taking the helm, he's steadily rebuilt Villa's continental reputation: a Europa Conference League semi-final in 2024, a Champions League quarter-final last season, and now a shot at their first European final since that legendary European Cup triumph over Bayern Munich in 1982.

Even after a Premier League setback against Tottenham, Villa are buzzing at home. They've won nine straight European fixtures at Villa Park and scored in 31 of their last 32 European home games—a record that spells trouble for Forest.

Emery rotated heavily for the Tottenham loss, but expect a more familiar lineup for this must-win clash. Emiliano Martinez will anchor the goal, with Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne forming the backline. The only likely change is in midfield, where Douglas Luiz could replace Lamare Bogarde, whose recent performances have been underwhelming. Luiz hasn't started since Villa's 2-0 win, but his return could be the spark they need.

It's all on the line at Villa Park. Can the Villans reignite their Europa League dream? Kickoff can't come soon enough.