Nottingham Forest's Brazilian defender #04 Morato (R) vies with Aston Villa's English striker #11 Ollie Watkins during the UEFA Europa League, semi-final second-leg football match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on May 7, 2026. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)
Aston Villa secured their place in the UEFA Europa League final on Thursday with a dominant 4-0 second-leg victory over Nottingham Forest. Unai Emery’s squad delivered a clinical performance at Villa Park, overturning a one-goal deficit from the opening leg to progress 4-1 on aggregate.
The comprehensive win marks a significant milestone for the club as they prepare to compete for their first major European trophy in decades.
The Midlands side will now travel to Istanbul on May 20 to face SC Freiburg in the championship match. The Bundesliga outfit earned their spot in the final after a hard-fought 3-1 win over Braga on Thursday night.
Despite trailing 2-1 after the first leg, Freiburg’s home triumph allowed them to advance with a 4-3 aggregate score, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash against Villa at Beşiktaş Stadium.
