Nottingham Forest takes a 1-0 lead to Aston Villa in Europa League semifinal

TL;DR

Nottingham Forest leads Aston Villa 1-0 in the Europa League semifinal ahead of the second leg. Both teams aim for their first European final in decades, with Forest last winning in 1980.

Key points

Nottingham Forest leads 1-0 against Aston Villa
Both teams seek their first European final in decades
Forest last won the European Cup in 1980
Villa needs to end a three-game losing streak at home
The final is set for May 20 in Istanbul

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Istanbul

Nottingham ForestAston VillaEuropa LeagueFreiburg

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest makes a short trip to Birmingham with a 1-0 advantage against Aston Villa in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal on Thursday. Both clubs hope to contest their first European final in decades. For Nottingham, it has been 46 years. The relegation-threatened Premier League club won the European Cup, the precursor to the Champions League, under the great Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980. Forest has been unbeaten in its last 10 games in all competitions but it remains unclear if key attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White will play after suffering a facial injury on Monday in a 3-1 win against Chelsea in the Premier League. Villa, the European champion in 1982, has reached its second semifinal in Europe in three seasons. It sits fifth in the English top flight and stands a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League again after advancing to the quarterfinals last season. Villa needs to snap a three-game losing streak at Villa Park to progress. In the other semifinal, the Bundesliga’s Freiburg needs to overturn a one-goal deficit from a 2-1 defeat to Braga in the opening leg in Portugal. Freiburg has enjoyed its best European campaign while Braga hopes to advance to the final again after it lost to domestic rival Porto 1-0 in 2011. The final is in Istanbul on May 20. In the third-tier Conference League, is in control of its semifinal against Shakhtar Donetsk after winning 3-1 in the Ukrainian team’s exile in Krakow, Poland, last week. If Palace advances in its maiden European campaign, English clubs will compete in all three European finals. \\_ AP soccer:

Q&A

What is the significance of Nottingham Forest's 1-0 lead against Aston Villa?

The 1-0 lead gives Nottingham Forest a crucial advantage as they aim for their first European final in 46 years.

When is the second leg of the Europa League semifinal between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa?

The second leg is scheduled for Thursday, with Nottingham Forest traveling to Birmingham.

How has Aston Villa performed recently in the Europa League?

Aston Villa has reached its second semifinal in three seasons but is currently on a three-game losing streak at Villa Park.

Nottingham Forest takes a 1-0 lead to Aston Villa in Europa League semifinal

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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