In the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, Nottingham Forest secured a narrow 1-0 win over Aston Villa at the City Ground. The decisive moment came in the second half when Chris Wood converted a penalty, sending the home crowd into ecstasy. The return fixture is set to take place at Villa Park next week, where Villa will aim to overturn the deficit.
In the second semi-final of the night, Braga showcased their attacking prowess with a 2-1 victory over Freiburg at the Braga Municipal Stadium. Goals from Demir Ege Tıknaz and Mario Dorgeles gave the Portuguese side a commanding lead, while Freiburg pulled one back but failed to level. The German outfit will host the return leg at Europa-Park-Stadion next Thursday, hoping to advance to the final.