Super Eagles stars Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina are out of the Europa League after Aston Villa produced a stunning turnaround to book their place in the final after thrashing Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Unai Emery’s side responded in emphatic fashion to secure a dominant aggregate victory and move within one game of ending the club’s 30-year wait for a major trophy.
Watkins and Buendia spark Villa comeback
Ollie Watkins sparked the comeback seven minutes before half-time, turning home from close range after good work by Emi Buendia.
Villa took control of the tie in the second half when Buendia calmly converted from the penalty spot after a VAR review spotted a foul by Nikola Milenkovic on Pau Torres.
McGinn double seals dominant victory
Watkins later had another effort ruled out for offside, but Villa continued to dominate against a Forest side that struggled to create chances.
Club captain John McGinn then sealed the victory with a late brace, putting the result beyond doubt and sending the home supporters into celebration mode.
Villa will now face SC Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on May 20 after the Bundesliga side edged past Braga in the other semi-final.
Forest’s European journey ends in disappointment
Manager Unai Emery is now chasing a fifth Europa League title, further strengthening his reputation as one of the competition’s greatest managers.
For Forest, it was a disappointing end to a memorable European run. Chris Wood was isolated for long spells, while key midfielder Elliot Anderson failed to influence the game as Villa controlled midfield from start to finish.
Despite the defeat, Forest’s return to European competition after three decades remains a significant milestone for the club under Vitor Pereira.
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