Chris Wood penalty gives Nottingham Forest edge over Aston Villa in Europa League semi-final
Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Chris Wood. The decisive moment came after Lucas Digne was adjudged to have committed a handball following a VAR review. Both teams had chances, but strong goalkeeping performances, particularly from Emi Martinez and Stefan Ortega, kept the scoreline tight ahead of the second leg at Villa Park.
- ▪Chris Wood scored the only goal of the match with a penalty in the second half after a handball by Lucas Digne was confirmed by VAR.
- ▪Emi Martinez made a crucial goal-line save to deny Igor Jesus in the first half, preserving the deadlock before the penalty decision.
- ▪Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten run to nine games across all competitions with the victory at the City Ground.
- ▪Vitor Pereira praised his team's spirit and resilience, highlighting their progress despite having four managers during the season.
- ▪The second leg of the semi-final will take place at Villa Park next week, with Forest holding a narrow advantage.
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