Aston Villa are on the brink of history as they prepare to host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Thursday, aiming to secure a spot in their first major European final in a generation. After a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg at the City Ground, Unai Emery's squad must dig deep to overturn the deficit—a feat that would make them the first team since 2016 to come back against a domestic rival in a major European tie.
The Villans have plenty of reasons to be confident, especially on home soil. They are unbeaten in their last ten home meetings with Nottingham Forest across all competitions and have an impressive streak of nine consecutive home wins in major European tournaments. Emery himself brings a wealth of experience, having successfully navigated 22 consecutive two-legged ties in the Europa League. The key will be breaking down a resilient Forest defense, but Villa Park has been a fortress where the team has scored in 31 of their last 32 European fixtures.
After a lackluster performance from his second string in the weekend loss to Tottenham, Emery is expected to bring back his primary starters. Ollie Watkins leads the charge of returning players, while captain John McGinn should be available after missing Sunday's match with a minor muscular issue. Morgan Rogers continues to be a critical threat at home, having been involved in five goals in six Europa League appearances at Villa Park this season. However, the coaching staff will need to assess Amadou Onana, who is still recovering from a calf strain.
Ross Barkley is ineligible for the squad, and Boubacar Kamara remains sidelined with a long-term injury. In Kamara's absence, Youri Tielemans and Lamare Bogarde are expected to anchor the midfield, while Emiliano Buendía and Rogers will likely support Watkins in the final third as the Villans hunt for early goals. The predicted lineup features Martínez in goal, with Cash, Konsa, Torres, and Digne forming the back four, and McGinn, Rogers, Buendía, and Watkins leading the attack.
The Europa League semi-final second leg at Villa Park kicks off at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 7 May 2026. For fans in the United States, be sure to check local listings to catch all the action as Villa look to make history.