- Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their all-English Europa League semi-final at the City Ground.
- The decisive goal came from a second-half penalty, emphatically converted by New Zealand striker Chris Wood, putting Forest 90 minutes away from their first European final in 46 years.
- The penalty was awarded after a lengthy VAR check confirmed Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne handled the ball, which was hooked back into play by Omari Hutchinson after initially appearing to be out.
- Both goalkeepers made crucial saves, with Emiliano Martinez denying Igor Jesus for Villa and Stefan Ortega making an instinctive stop from Ollie Watkins, keeping the score level before Forest's penalty.
- Despite the defeat, Aston Villa, led by Europa League specialist Unai Emery, remain a significant threat for the second leg at Villa Park, where they are notoriously strong.
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