Villa, Forest revive European glory days in semi-final showdown
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are both former winners of the European Cup (Darren Staples) Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, two clubs rich in European history, are one step from a first continental final in decades as they meet in the last four of the Europa League. English clubs dominated the European Cup, now known as the Champions League, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with two triumphs for Forest and one for Villa. But the clubs -- just 50 miles (80 kilometres) apart in the English Midlands -- have had contrasting seasons as they prepare for the first leg on Thursday.
Unai Emery's Villa are on course for a return to Europe's top club competition after a strong Premier League campaign. Forest, by contrast, remain at risk of relegation, though the club have turned a corner under Vitor Pereira, who is their fourth manager during a chaotic campaign. The club are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, reaching a first European semi-final in 42 years.
A 5-0 demolition of Sunderland last week followed a 4-1 victory over Burnley, with goals suddenly flowing for a side that had been blunt under Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche. "Everyone is scoring, which makes us happy," said Pereira. "It's a good feeling.
We're eight games unbeaten now, and it's important to keep this mentality. " Forest's heyday came under Brian Clough, who masterminded back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, while Villa were continental champions two years later. But both teams have been starved of success in the decades since, which have included spells in the lower tiers of English football.
- Emery pedigree - Villa have flourished since Emery joined the club in 2022 and are favourites to end their 30-year wait for a major trophy, with Freiburg or Braga awaiting the winners in next month's final in Istanbul. Two years ago Villa reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League in their first taste of European competition for 13 years. Last season they gave Paris Saint-Germain a scare before bowing out 5-4 on aggregate to the eventual winners in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.