Nottingham Forest advanced to the Europa League semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Porto, setting up a meeting with Aston Villa. The first leg of the all-Premier League semi-final is scheduled for April 30 at the City Ground, with the return leg at Villa Park on May 7. The winners will face either Freiburg or Braga in the final on May 20.
Following a challenging 1-1 draw in the first leg in Portugal, Forest performed better at home after Jan Bednarek's early dismissal for a reckless challenge on Chris Wood. Morgan Gibbs-White capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring via a deflection off Pablo Rosario.
Forest's victory sets up a tough test against Unai Emery's Villa, who convincingly defeated Bologna 7-1 over two legs. The draw guarantees an English club in the Europa League final for the second consecutive season. Forest now faces the challenge of balancing their European ambitions with the demands of the Premier League, where they are still at risk of relegation.
They host Burnley on Sunday in a crucial game for their top-flight survival. Manager Vitor Pereira will hope that injuries to Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi do not disrupt their six-game run-in, which will determine the fate of their season.