Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Aston Villa came from behind in their semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest to reach their first European final in 44 years.
John McGinn scored twice as Unai Emery's men won 4-0 in the second leg of this semi-final. During the one-sided win against Nottingham Forest, even Prince William could not hold his emotions as he celebrated and cheered on from the stands. It was special for Emery as he marked his sixth Europa League final appearance. Previously, he won the tournament thrice on the trot with Sevilla from 2014 to 2016. He then led Arsenal to the final in 2019, before winning it again with Villarreal in 2021.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: John McGinn scores twice
Aston Villa handed a one-sided defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. The hosts won by 4-0 after coming into the game trailing by 0-1 from the first leg. Ollie Watkins scored in the 26th minute to level the tie. Emi Buendia scored from the penalty spot to hand Aston Villa the lead in the tie for the first time. John McGinn then scored twice in the 77th minute and 80th minute. With a 4-0 win, it marked Aston Villa's first appearance in a European final after 44 years.
UEFA Europa League: Aston Villa makes first European final after 44 years
Aston Villa came from behind to defeat Nottingham Forest and make it to their first European final after 44 years. The Villains gave their fans a lot to cheer about as they made a historic comeback to the top-flight. Their last final appearance in 1982 saw them win against Bayern Munich 0-1. Their historic win was their first and remains their only European title to date.
UEFA Europa League: Prince William cheers Aston Villa
After Aston Villa advanced to the Europa League final, the Prince of Wales was seen throwing his fists in the air and rejoicing with the team in the locker room. William, a Villa supporter, was spotted applauding from the stands as the team defeated Nottingham Forest 4-0, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory and setting up a final matchup with Freiburg on May 20. William participated in the post-match festivities, according to Aston Villa manager Unai Emery. 'He was in the dressing room with the players, and with me, and of course, he is so happy as well,' Emery said.
UEFA Europa League: Who will Aston Villa face?
Aston Villa will face Freiburg in the final of the UEFA Europa League. The two teams will clash on the 21st of May. While Villa defeated Nottingham Forrest, Freiburg too came back from behind to win their tie in the second leg. Facing Braga, the German club lost the first leg 1-2. They won the second leg 3-1 to book their ticket to the final.
UEFA Europa League: Aston Villa results in Knockouts
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score |
| Semi-Final (2nd Leg) | May 7, 2026 | Nottingham Forest | Home | Win | 4-0 (4-1 agg) |
| Semi-Final (1st Leg) | Apr 30, 2026 | Nottingham Forest | Away | Loss | 0-1 |
| Quarter-Final (2nd Leg) | Apr 16, 2026 | Bologna | Home | Win | 4-0 (7-1 agg) |
| Quarter-Final (1st Leg) | Apr 9, 2026 | Bologna | Away | Win | 3-1 |
| Round of 16 (2nd Leg) | Mar 19, 2026 | Lille | Home | Win | 2-0 (3-0 agg) |
| Round of 16 (1st Leg) | Mar 12, 2026 | Lille | Away | Win | 1-0 |
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