Roundup of the semi-finals stage as the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League approached its conclusion.
Aston Villa met Nottingham Forest in an all-English showdown between two of England’s iconic giants, whilst East met West Europe in the other semi-final as Freiburg collided with Braga, as all four clubs chased a place in the final on Wednesday 20 May in Istanbul, Turkey.
Nottingham Forest 1-4 Aston Villa
Chris Wood’s 71st-minute penalty saw Forest snatch the first-leg advantage with a 1-0 win at the City Ground after Lucas Digne’s handball in a competitive encounter, which saw Stefan Ortega deny Ollie Watkins whilst Emiliano Martinez blocked Igor Jesus’ shot as both teams wasted chances in open play.
Emiliano Buendia’s penalty following a tug on Pau Torres from Nikola Milenkovic coupled with John McGinn’s brace saw Villa complete a 4-0 second-leg comeback to prevail on aggregate, after Watkins restored parity in the first half.
Braga 3-4 Freiburg
Mario Dorgeles’ 92nd-minute finish saw Braga claim a 2-1 first-leg victory at home over Freiburg, in which Demir Ege Tiknaz’s eighth-minute strike was cancelled out by Vincenzo Grifo’s finish of Jan-Niklas Beste’s pass.
Lukas Kubler’s brace and Johan Manzambi’s effort saw Freiburg complete a 3-1 second-leg comeback to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate, as Braga were dealt an early blow as Dorgeles was sent off in the sixth minute but Pau Victor salvaged a consolatory goal.