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Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa Competition – Europa League Stadium: The City Ground Date: 30th April 2026 Kick-off time – 20:00 GMT
Thursday evening at the City Ground delivers one of the most extraordinary fixtures in the recent history of English football — a Europa League semi-final first leg between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. Two sides who share the same Premier League division going head-to-head for a place in a European final is a remarkable occasion for English football, and the atmosphere inside a packed City Ground is set to be electric.
Forest arrive at this tie in superb form. Their most recent outing was a dominant 5–0 away win at Sunderland — a result that underlined their attacking ruthlessness and defensive solidity in equal measure. Prior to that, they were just as commanding at home, dismantling Burnley 4–1 at the City Ground in another controlled display. Before that, they edged out FC Porto 1–0 at home in the Europa League quarter-final second leg to seal their passage to the last four — a tight, professional performance when it mattered most. Earlier in this run, they drew 1–1 at home with Aston Villa in a Premier League meeting that will serve as useful reference material ahead of Thursday night, and before that they came away from the quarter-final first leg at FC Porto with a 1–1 draw that set up their progression nicely. Forest carry genuine belief into this semi-final, and with home advantage in the first leg, they will be intent on building a cushion ahead of the return.
Aston Villa’s form tells a slightly more complicated story. Their most recent outing ended in a 1–0 defeat away at Fulham — not the ideal preparation for a European semi-final, though it should be viewed in the context of what has otherwise been an impressive recent run. Prior to that, they put four past Sunderland at Villa Park in a 4–3 win that showcased their attacking verve. Before that, they were commanding in Europe, beating Bologna 4–0 at home in the Europa League quarter-final second leg to emphatically confirm their semi-final spot. Earlier in this sequence, the 1–1 Premier League draw at the City Ground is worth noting — Villa acquitted themselves well in that environment — and before that they had already done the groundwork in the first leg against Bologna with a 3–1 win away in Italy. Villa are capable of performing at the highest level; the question is whether they can produce that level consistently on the road.
The head-to-head record across the last five meetings favours Aston Villa, who have won three encounters, with one draw and one victory for Nottingham Forest. Most recently, the two sides met at the City Ground in the Premier League on 12th April 2026 and shared the points in a 1–1 draw — a result that suggests Forest can hold their own at home against their Midlands rivals. In the previous encounter, Aston Villa won 3–1 at Villa Park in January, demonstrating their potency on home soil.
With first-leg advantage at stake, Forest will be looking to press hard from the outset and make the City Ground a hostile environment. Villa, for their part, possess the quality to hurt any side on the counter and will not simply be defending for a draw. This has the makings of an open, high-stakes contest between two sides who know each other well and will be desperate to reach European football’s biggest stage.
In the UK, the match is live on TNT Sports 1 and available to stream via HBO Max. In the United States, viewers can catch the action on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ or DAZN USA. The game is also available in Germany on RTL+ and in France on Canal+ Foot and myCANAL.
Nottingham Forest — Last 5 Results
| Result | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✅ | Sunderland | 0–5 | Nottingham | Premier League | 24.04.2026 |
| ✅ | Nottingham | 4–1 | Burnley | Premier League | 19.04.2026 |
| ✅ | Nottingham | 1–0 | FC Porto | Europa League | 16.04.2026 |
| 🤝 | Nottingham | 1–1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 12.04.2026 |
| 🤝 | FC Porto | 1–1 | Nottingham | Europa League | 09.04.2026 |
Aston Villa — Last 5 Results
| Result | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❌ | Fulham | 1–0 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 25.04.2026 |
| ✅ | Aston Villa | 4–3 | Sunderland | Premier League | 19.04.2026 |
| ✅ | Aston Villa | 4–0 | Bologna | Europa League | 16.04.2026 |
| 🤝 | Nottingham | 1–1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 12.04.2026 |
| ✅ | Bologna | 1–3 | Aston Villa | Europa League | 09.04.2026 |
Head-to-Head
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham | 1–1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 12.04.2026 |
| Aston Villa | 3–1 | Nottingham | Premier League | 03.01.2026 |
| Aston Villa | 2–1 | Nottingham | Premier League | 05.04.2025 |
| Nottingham | 2–1 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 14.12.2024 |
| Aston Villa | 4–2 | Nottingham | Premier League | 24.02.2024 |
TV Listings / Streaming
| Country | Channel |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1, HBO Max |
| Ireland | TNT Sports 1, HBO Max |
| USA | CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, DAZN USA |
| Germany | RTL+ |
| France | Canal+ Foot, myCANAL |
| Spain | Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones 2 |
| Italy | Sky Sport 252, NOW TV |
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport |
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| Portugal | DAZN Portugal |
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