Aston Villa reached the final of the Europa League after recording a comprehensive 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their semifinal on Thursday night.
Villa had suffered a 1-0 defeat from the first leg, but overturned the deficit to advance to their first European final in 44 years after a 4-1 aggregate result.
They entered the clash on the back of a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, where head coach Unai Emery rested several players with an eye on this particular clash.
It proved to be the right decision as the Spaniard also qualified for the sixth Europa League final of his career after winning the trophy three times with Sevilla, before losing in 2019 at Arsenal.
Aston Villa tied the game in the 36th minute when England forward Ollie Watkins scored after good work from Emiliano Buendia in the buildup.
They were awarded a chance to move ahead in the tie in the second half after VAR reviewed a foul on Pau Torres by Nikola Milenkovic, with Buendia stepping up to slot home past Stefan Ortega.
Then it became three moments later as John McGinn scored in the 77th minute, before finding the net three minutes later to complete the rout and book their place in the final.
Aston Villa will now play in the final of an European competition for the first time since 1982, when they defeated Bayern Munich in the final of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup.
Meanwhile, they can also end their 30-year wait for a major trophy, since winning the League Cup against Leeds United in 1996.
They will face German side Freiburg, who overcame Braga 4-3 on aggregate in the other semifinal in the final of the competition in Istanbul on May 20.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
