Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Europa League

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Former European champions Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest looking to overturn a one-goal deficit as the two Premier League sides conclude their UEFA Europa League semi-final.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – HBO Max / USA – Paramount+

Key stats

The first leg was the first UEFA meeting between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
This is the first all‑English UEFA men’s club competition semi‑final since the 2008/09 Champions League, when Manchester United defeated Arsenal 4-1 on aggregate. No two English clubs have met in the semi‑finals during the Europa League era; the only all‑English semi‑final in the UEFA Cup era came in 1972/73, when Liverpool faced Tottenham and advanced on away goals.
The winner of this tie will become the tenth different English club to reach the UEFA Cup/Europa League final. Before 2025/26, Germany led the way with ten clubs and England were second with nine; Freiburg could become the 11th German club if they beat Braga in the other semi‑final.
The first leg was Aston Villa’s first UEFA encounter against an English club.
This is Aston Villa’s first UEFA Cup/Europa League semi‑final. They are the 14th different English club to reach this stage across both eras of the competition.
Aston Villa are competing in a UEFA semi‑final for the second time in three seasons, having lost 6-2 on aggregate to Olympiacos in the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League semi‑finals. Their only other appearance in a major UEFA semi‑final (excluding the Intertoto Cup) came in the 1981/82 European Cup, when they defeated Anderlecht 1-0 on aggregate.
The first‑leg defeat ended Aston Villa’s nine‑match winning streak in the UEFA Europa League — the longest run in the club’s UEFA history and an English record in the Europa League proper, surpassing Chelsea’s previous best of eight between 2013 and 2018.
Aston Villa have won 17 of their last 19 UEFA home matches (D1 L1), including each of the last nine.
Before this tie, Aston Villa have won six and lost four of their ten UEFA two‑legged ties in which they lost the first leg away by a one‑goal margin.
Aston Villa coach Unai Emery is competing in his seventh UEFA Europa League semi‑final as a coach, having won five ties in a row since losing in the 2011/12 semi‑finals with Valencia.
Prior to this tie, Nottingham Forest’s only previous UEFA meetings with an English club came against Liverpool in the 1978/79 European Cup first round, where Forest won 2–0 on aggregate after a 2-0 home victory and a 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Nottingham Forest are appearing in their first UEFA semi‑final since the 1983/84 UEFA Cup, when they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Anderlecht. Forest had won the first leg 2-0 at home, but saw that advantage overturned with a 3-0 defeat in Belgium.
Nottingham Forest have won two and lost one of their three previous UEFA semi‑final ties. Their most recent success came in the 1979/80 European Cup, where they defeated Ajax 2-1 on aggregate.
Nottingham Forest have lost only three of their last 13 UEFA Europa League matches (W8 D2).
Nottingham Forest have lost only one of their previous seven UEFA Europa League away matches this season (W3 D3).
Before this tie, Nottingham Forest have won three of their four UEFA two‑legged ties in which they took a one‑goal lead from the first leg at home. The only exception came in the 1980 UEFA Super Cup, when they beat Valencia 2-1 at the City Ground but lost the return leg 1-0 and ultimately lost the tie on away goals.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest prediction

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery will hope his side are more clinical in this UEFA Europa League second leg after they failed to convert a number of promising opportunities in last week's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Having said that, they have Emiliano Martinez to thank for preventing further conceded goals, with the World Cup winner brilliantly denying Igor Jesus in the first half.

Forest certainly come into this fixture in better form; they are unbeaten in ten games across all competitions, and have scored 12 goals in their last three Premier League outings. Villa, meanwhile, have lost their last three matches, most recently 1-2 at home to relegation-threatened Tottenham.

Emery is a Europa League specialist though, having won this tournament on four occasions with previous clubs Sevilla and Villarreal. He will have his men fired up for this as they chase down that elusive trophy - Villa's last major silverware came in 1996 - and you'd fancy them to find the net in front of their home fans.

However, in-form Forest are more than capable of doing the same, with both teams to score the tip.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest tip: Both teams to score