'Forest second leg does feel like a turning point for the Villa squad'

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BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague says the first hour of Thursday's Europa league semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest will be "important" because that is when Unai Emery will have his best players on the pitch.

Villa go into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats as they look to end a 30-year wait for major silverware.

"Europe is different and Unai insisted that in his press conference," Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"It's a different game and a huge game.

"It does feel like a turning point for the squad. Not so much for Unai's story with Villa, which will continue - forget the rumours about Atletico Madrid - but it feels like the squad have got something to prove.

"If you look closely there are 12 or 13 players of the highest quality who have adapted quickly to the Emery style and there's a big gap between them and the rest.

"So, it will be important what happens in the first hour with the best XI that they have. I'm pretty sure Villa Park won't be like how it was against Spurs with all the fans leaving by the end. It will be rocking.

"Forest are flying. Sometime it's not about who the best team is but instead about who has the momentum. Quite clearly, Forest have shown they have a sharpness right now that Villa lacked in the first leg.

"But, this is Unai Emery and this is his competition. This is a Villa desperate to get through into the final so it will be very, very tight."

Listen to the full chat from 08:15 on BBC Sounds