Nottingham Forest has advanced to the Europa League semi-finals after defeating Porto 2-1 on aggregate, setting up a meeting with Aston Villa. The first leg of the semi-final will take place at the City Ground on April 30, with the return leg at Villa Park scheduled for May 7. The winners will face either Freiburg or Braga in the final on May 20.
Forest's victory came after a difficult 1-1 draw in the first leg in Portugal, but they were more assured at home, especially after Jan Bednarek's early dismissal for a reckless challenge. Morgan Gibbs-White capitalized on the advantage, scoring via a deflection, and dedicated the goal to teammate Elliot Anderson, who was granted leave due to his mother's passing.
Despite being down to 10 men, Porto struggled to match Forest's intensity, and Forest's convincing win has set up a tough semi-final against Unai Emery's Villa, who dismantled Bologna 7-1 over two legs. The draw guarantees an English club will be in the Europa League final for the second consecutive season. Forest must now balance their European ambitions with their domestic season, still not clear of relegation trouble, and host Burnley on Sunday in a crucial game.
Injuries to Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi may impact their six-game run-in, and manager Vitor Pereira's job may depend on it.