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Aston Villa defeats Nottingham Forest 4-0 to reach Europa League final
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Aston Villa secured a 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-finals, overcoming a 1-0 first-leg deficit to advance 4-1 on aggregate. Ollie Watkins opened the scoring, followed by Emiliano Buendia's penalty, and a late double from John McGinn sealed the win. This triumph marks Villa's first European final in 44 years, setting up a clash against German club Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20. Freiburg reached their first European showpiece by beating Braga 4-3 on aggregate. Prince William was among the fans celebrating at Villa Park. Unai Emery, who has won the Europa League four times, has revitalized Villa since taking over in 2022. Villa is now one win away from their first major trophy since the 1996 League Cup and their first major continental prize since 1982. They will be favorites against Freiburg, who are seventh in the Bundesliga. Nottingham Forest's bid for a European final ended, extending their 36-year trophy drought.
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