Nottingham Forest advanced to the Europa League semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Porto, setting up a last-four clash 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 Freiburg or Braga in the final on May 20. Following a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the first leg in Portugal, Forest dominated on home soil, capitalizing on Jan Bednarek's early dismissal.
Morgan Gibbs-White scored the decisive goal, dedicating it to midfielder Elliot Anderson, who was granted compassionate leave after his mother's passing. Forest's victory sets up a challenging semi-final against Unai Emery's Villa, who dismantled Bologna 7-1 over two legs. The draw guarantees an English club in the Europa League final for the second consecutive season. Forest must now balance their European ambitions with the demanding domestic season, still facing relegation concerns.
They host Burnley on Sunday, a crucial game in their fight to remain a top-flight club. Manager Vitor Pereira will hope that injuries to Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi do not derail their six-game run-in, which will determine their Premier League fate.