Forest enter the tie with growing belief
Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
Both clubs are chasing a long-awaited major trophy. Forest last won a major honour in 1990, while Villa’s wait stretches back to the League Cup in 1996.
Forest have spent much of the season fighting relegation, but their form has improved under Vitor Pereira. They are unbeaten in eight matches and sit third in the Premier League form table across the last six games.
During that run, Forest have scored 15 goals. Their latest result was a 5-0 win over Sunderland, following another strong victory against Burnley.
Pereira has changed the mood and style
Pereira arrived in February as Forest’s fourth manager since September. His first task was to rebuild belief and give the team a clearer identity.
The Portuguese coach has also brought some unusual methods. He plays music during the final training session before matches and lets players choose the tracks. The idea is to reduce tension and raise energy before games.
On the pitch, Forest now look more compact and more controlled. Under Pereira, open-play crosses have dropped by 31%, while deep crosses are down 29%.
At the same time, shots from through-balls have risen by 31%. Forest are also creating 30% more big chances and converting 75% more of them.
Gibbs-White and Forest’s European numbers stand out
Morgan Gibbs-White has been one of the biggest winners from Pereira’s arrival. The midfielder has scored nine goals in 14 matches since February.
Forest’s Europa League numbers also support their confidence. They have the best xG in the competition at 27.8 and have taken 414 touches in opposition boxes across 14 matches.
They have put 88 shots on target, with 23 of them becoming goals. Igor Jesus is also joint top scorer in the tournament with seven goals.
Villa rely on Emery’s European record
Aston Villa arrive with more European pedigree on the bench. Unai Emery is preparing for his seventh Europa League semi-final and is chasing a fifth title in the competition.
Villa are close to securing a top-five Premier League finish and Champions League qualification. Still, their league form has dipped since January, with 16 points from 14 matches after beating Forest 3-1.
Injuries have also hurt them. Youri Tielemans and John McGinn have only recently returned, while Boubacar Kamara is out for the season.
Villa have scored 47 Premier League goals, the lowest total among the top six. Their 434 shots are also the fewest among the Champions League contenders.
Emery praised Pereira before the tie and called him a competitive coach. But with Forest in strong form and Villa showing recent weaknesses, the semi-final looks far more open than expected.
