Villa crush Forest to reach Europa League final against Freiburg

Aston Villa reached their first European final for 44 years in memorable style with a 4-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.

Unai Emery’s side erased a 1-0 first leg deficit thanks to Ollie Watkins’ opener just before half-time and Emiliano Buendia’s nerveless penalty after the interval.

Fittingly, it was a late double from skipper and fan favourite John McGinn that finished off Forest to cap Villa’s second leg masterclass.

They advanced 4-1 on aggregate from the all-English showdown, setting up a final clash against German club Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20.

Freiburg beat Braga 4-3 on aggregate to make their first ever European showpiece.

Leading the celebrations at Villa Park was noted fan Prince William, who sat among the jubilant claret and blue hordes in the stands.

Given the royal seal of approval by William, Villa will head to Turkey in search of their first major trophy since the 1996 League Cup.

They are bidding to win the club’s first major continental prize since Peter Withe clinched their iconic 1982 European Cup final triumph against Bayern Munich.

In their first final since losing to Manchester City in the 2020 League Cup, Villa will be firm favourites against unheralded Freiburg, who are seventh in the Bundesliga.

It is Emery’s sixth Europa League final after winning the competition three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, as well as finishing as a runner-up with Arsenal.

Emery has proved an inspired appointment, the Spaniard having revitalised Villa since taking over when they were languishing three points above the relegation zone in 2022.

Fifth-placed Villa remain on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-five finish in the Premier League, but they now have the option of making it via winning the Europa League as well.

Beaten in the semi-finals by Olympiakos in the 2023/2024 UEFA Conference League and then Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last season, Villa are one win away from shedding their tag as ‘nearly men’ who fall short on the big occasion.

Bloodied but unbowed 

It was a painful end to Forest’s bid to reach a European final for the first time since 1980, leaving them still waiting to end their 36-year trophy drought.

Forest had arrived unbeaten in their last 10 games, while Villa had lost their previous three and were booed off after defeat at home to lowly Tottenham on Sunday.

Crucially, Forest were largely subdued with influential playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White only fit enough for the bench after suffering a horrific facial injury last weekend.

Forest winger Omari Hutchinson curled narrowly wide from the edge of the area in the opening minutes.

But Villa quickly hit their stride and Pau Torres’ header forced a desperate tip over from Forest keeper Stefan Ortega, who saved Buendia’s low drive soon afterwards.

Villa’s pressure was rewarded in the 36th minute as Watkins climbed off the canvas to open the scoring.

Blooded and bruised but unbowed after a clash of heads with Morato moments earlier, the bandaged Watkins ignored his throbbing skull to slot home from close range after Buendia’s sublime twisting run prised open the Forest defence.

Villa’s momentum was not interrupted by the half-time interval and their dominance brought a deserved second goal in the 58th minute.

Nikola Milenkovic rashly pulled Torres’ shirt in the goalmouth and a VAR check awarded a penalty that Buendia calmly drilled past Ortega.

Chris Wood was denied by a key save by Martinez and McGinn put the result beyond doubt.

The Scotland midfielder took Watkins’ flick and caressed a fine finish into the far corner from 12 yards in the 77th minute.

McGinn struck again three minutes later, shooting low past Ortega at the near post to send Villa Park into ecstasy.

Kuebler brace sends Freiburg past Braga into Europa League final

Lukas Kuebler scored in each half as Freiburg beat Braga 3-1 at home on Thursday to win 4-3 on aggregate and and qualify for the Europa League final where they will face Aston Villa.

Freiburg trailed by a goal from the opening leg but were given a leg up after seven minutes when Mario Dorgeles of Braga received a straight red card.

Kuebler’s opener and Johan Manzambi’s brilliant effort had the hosts 2-0 up and one ahead in the tie by half-time.

Kuebler added another in the second-half.

Pau Victor pulled one back for Braga late, Freiburg held on to reach a first European final.

Goalscorer Kuebler said the result was a “dream come true” and thanked the home fans.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable throughout — the fans carried us.”

Freiburg have never won a major trophy nor qualified for the Champions League but could do both with a win over Villa in the final in Istanbul.

Freiburg defender Matthias Ginter, who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, said Thursday’s game was “the most important home match in the club’s history”, but called on his side to go one better in the final.

“And now we’ve got the biggest match in the club’s history — and we’re going to give it a real go.”

The defeat ended Braga’s hopes of returning to the Europa League final for the first time since 2011, when they lost 1-0 to domestic rivals Porto.

Locked at 1-1 for much of the opening leg, Braga winger Dorgeles’ late goal gave Braga a first-leg advantage.

Braga coach Carlos Vicens rewarded the Ivorian, naming him in the starting XI in the only change. Just seven minutes in however, Dorgeles turned villain for the visitors.

With Freiburg’s lightning-quick Jan-Niklas Beste on the attack, Dorgeles brought the Freiburg winger down and was shown red for a last-man foul.

The hosts took the lead with 19 minutes gone when Braga’s Vitor Carvalho’s clearance hit an on-rushing Kuebler and trickled in at the far post.

While Freiburg’s first goal had a slapstick feel, their second, which gave them the lead in the tie, was one of pure quality.

Manzambi drove through the middle and unleashed a curling strike past the diving Lukas Hornicek.

Only some remarkable goalkeeping from Hornicek and the post prevented Freiburg from adding another after the break, with the visiting keeper keeping the hosts at bay with a spectacular double save on 68 minutes.

The pressure told shortly when Kuebler headed in a Vincenzo Grifo free-kick to give Freiburg a two-goal cushion.

With 11 minutes remaining, Victor headed in a cross to cut Freiburg’s lead.

Braga had two late chances to level but were kept at bay by some acrobatic goalkeeping from Noah Atubolu.

At the final whistle, the Freiburg ultras stormed the pitch in celebration of reaching the second major final in their history, after the 2022 German Cup.

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