Music & methods - why Forest could be Europa League favourites

Can two-time European champions Nottingham Forest end Aston Villa 's dreams to chase their own? They host their fellow Premier League side in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday as both sides look to end a trophy drought stretching decades. Forest, winners of the European Cup back in 1979 and 1980, have battled relegation all season, with Vitor Pereira their fourth boss since September.

Villa are on the brink of sealing a top-five spot in the Premier League and qualifying for next season's Champions League, having won the old version of the latter competition themselves back in 1982. But after injuries and a mid-season drop in form, Unai Emery's Villa side have shown their frailties recently and there is belief at the City Ground that Forest can prevail after an eight-match unbeaten run. Braga or Freiburg await in the final in Istanbul on 20 May, so after Forest's recent revival and Villa's stumble in the second half of the season, are Pereira's men now favourites to triumph in the all-English tie?

Forest, without a major trophy since 1990, are third in the Premier League form table for their past six games - behind Manchester City and Brighton - having scored 15 goals, including Friday's 5-0 thumping of Sunderland. Nine of them have come in the last two games following comprehensive wins over Burnley and the Black Cats which should provide the platform for survival. West Ham and Tottenham's late wins on Saturday ensured there is still work to do in the run-in - and Pereira has underlined the Premier League is the priority - but there is an expectation they will beat the drop.

Five points above third-bottom Tottenham with four games left, that breathing space could allow Forest to take the handbrake off against Villa and confidence has grown since Pereira arrived in February. The players never bought into former boss Sean Dyche's philosophy and when the Portuguese replaced him, he pinpointed two key issues - a lack of confidence in their own ability and a lack of identity on the pitch - although not really unexpected with three previous managers in a troubled season. Pereira felt the first job was to restore confidence in the group - the majority who finished seventh in the league last season - and introduce a style which suited the squad's qualities.