Aston Villa Advances to Europa League Final Against Freiburg

Aston Villa secured a place in the Europa League final by defeating Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the second leg of the semi-final on Thursday, May 20, 2024, at Villa Park, overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and winning 4-1 on aggregate. Olli Watkins opened the scoring just before halftime, followed by a penalty from Emiliano Buendía in the 58th minute after a VAR check.

John McGinn added two late goals in the 77th and 80th minutes to complete the rout. This victory marks Aston Villa's first European final in 44 years, as they aim for their first major trophy since the 1996 League Cup.

They will face Freiburg, who defeated Braga 4-3 on aggregate in their semi-final. The final will take place in Istanbul, and Villa's coach, Unai Emery, is seeking to win the Europa League for the fourth time, having previously won it three times with Sevilla.