Chris Wood has been Nottingham Forest's secret weapon from the penalty spot for a decade—and now he's back to lead them on a Champions League charge. After six months on the sidelines, the New Zealand striker is proving why manager Vitor Pereira calls him "the last piece of the puzzle."

Forest's hopes of reaching Europe's elite competition were reignited on Thursday when Wood's unstoppable penalty gave them a narrow first-leg lead in their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa. The winner of this tie will face either Braga or Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20, with the trophy and a Champions League berth on the line. Braga currently hold a 2-1 advantage in the other semi-final.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a player who seemed destined for a season to forget. Last year, Wood's 20 Premier League goals almost single-handedly carried Forest to seventh place—only to miss out on Champions League qualification on the final day. This campaign, a knee injury sidelined him from October through December, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss Sean Dyche's entire tenure as manager.

But football has a way of writing redemption stories. Wood only returned to action this month, starting the quarter-final first-leg draw in Porto three weeks ago. Against Villa, his moment arrived with 19 minutes left when Lucas Digne's baffling handball gave Forest a penalty. The stadium erupted as Wood stepped up—a stark contrast to teammate Morgan Gibbs-White's recent spot-kick misses against Sturm Graz and Braga this season.

There was good reason for that confidence. Wood hasn't missed a penalty in 10 years, dating back to April 2016 when he failed to convert against Hull while playing for Leeds. His 200th career goal, smashed high beyond Emi Martinez, gives Forest a precious advantage to defend at Villa Park next week.

"That's what I have to do and that's what I try to do," Wood told TNT. "It's the job, the responsibility that my team gives me. Cup competitions come down to small margins. Both teams played very well, but it's small moments that can change games. Thankfully it went in our favour tonight."

For a player who has barely featured for six months, Wood is proving that class is permanent—and that Forest's Champions League dream is very much alive.