Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa clash in a historic Europa League semi-final at the City Ground on Thursday.This fixture marks the first major European semi-final between two English sides since 2009. Forest enter the tie in high spirits after thumping Sunderland 5–0 last Friday. They are currently unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Aston Villa aim to reach their first European final since 1982. Unai Emery’s side recently suffered a 1–0 defeat at Fulham. However, they remain the highest-scoring team in the competition this season.The Tricky Trees have not lost at home to the Lions in their last four meetings. Vitor Pereira has restored positivity to a side that struggled earlier this campaign. His team leads the Europa League for expected goals created. That said, Villa have won nine consecutive matches in this competition. Emery is managing in his record-breaking seventh Europa League semi-final.Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team newsDate: Thursday, 30 April 2026Kick-off: 20:00 BSTVenue: The City Ground, NottinghamReferee: João Pinheiro (POR)VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)Last Meeting: Nottingham Forest 1–1 Aston Villa (12 April 2026, Premier League)Team newsNottingham ForestThe hosts face several defensive absences as Murillo is ruled out with a hamstring injury. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Willy Boly, and Luca Netz are also unavailable for selection. Jair Cunha remains a doubt despite returning to training this week. January signing Stefan Ortega could start in goal after featuring in recent European ties.Aston VillaAmadou Onana faces a late fitness test after missing the loss at Fulham. Boubacar Kamara stays sidelined with a long-term knee injury. Ross Barkley and Alysson are both ineligible for this stage of the competition. Lamare Bogarde may continue in midfield if Onana fails to recover.FormNottingham ForestForest have conceded only seven goals in their last twelve European matches. They sit five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. The team has averaged the second-most shots in the competition this term.Aston VillaVilla reached this stage after easing past Lille and Bologna. Ollie Watkins has contributed to goals in four straight European matches. Despite domestic inconsistency, they have kept seven clean sheets in this tournament.Predicted lineupsNottingham Forest Predicted XI: Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Sangare, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, JesusAston Villa Predicted XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Bogarde, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, WatkinsHow to watch Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa?The first leg kicks off at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 30 April 2026.UK viewers can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1. Streaming is available via HBO Max for subscribers. Coverage begins one hour before the scheduled start time. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Read more- Gary Neville names ‘dream’ and ‘realistic’ Man United signingsSee Also- Fernandes release clause revealed as Man United captain seeks assurances over ambitionFollow the Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok The post Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news first appeared on The Football Faithful.