Credit: Imago

Max Wilkins

Thu 7 May 2026 7:00, UK

Aston Villa are set to play host to Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

The Reds already hold a 1-0 aggregate advantage when travelling to Villa Park after sealing victory in the first leg at the City Ground.

Chris Wood took advantage of a crazy Lucas Digne handball to blast a penalty beyond Emi Martinez in the Villa goal.

Attention now turns to B6, knowing that nothing but a win will be enough for the Villans to seal a spot in the Istanbul final.

With Villa set to welcome Forest to the West Midlands, Villa News takes a closer look at all the key details.

How to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

The Thursday clash will represent the fourth time the two sides have met this season, after two prior Premier League clashes before the first leg outing.

The results have been shared fairly so far, with the claret and blue and the Garibaldi both winning one and drawing the other.

That only makes the upcoming encounter all the more unpredictable, with TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate showing the clash live.

The showing will also be available online and in app via HBO Max, with the programme starting for pre-match build-up from 7pm before kick-off at 8pm.

Meanwhile, the other side of the Europa League draw will see Freiburg welcome Braga in the other semi-final, which is being broadcast on TNT Sports 3.

Villa simply have to win against Forest as missing out on the final risks continuing a worrying trend in B6.

Aston Villa risk three-year semi-final failure streak vs Nottingham Forest

There is a genuine feeling within the claret and blue fanbase that they are destined not to win a trophy anytime soon.

That has certainly been echoed in the last two seasons after losing to Olympiacos in the 2023/24 Conference League semi-final and Crystal Palace in the 2024/25 FA Cup semi-final.

Those defeats have left scars that are certainly being felt once again, moving into the upcoming Forest clash at Villa Park.

Unai Emery has a positive record at turning defeats around in Europa League second legs, and he’ll have to do that if he wants a place in the final.

If the Villans can’t do that, it could prove to be the final straw for many in their dreams of seeing their side winning a trophy in their lifetime.