"Lucas Digne naively raised both hands, presuming the ball would bounce out of play, but Omari Hutchinson kept the phase alive and Nottingham Forest were presented with a chance to strike the first blow in this Europa League semi-final."
"For so long, it seemed Emiliano Martinez would be Villa's hero, his improbable save to prevent Igor Jesus from scoring a first-half opener rivalling his stop to deny Nicolas Dominguez here last season."
"The City Ground was bathed in a warm glow before kick-off and once things got under way a hot atmosphere was guaranteed given this was a contest between Midlands rivals and favourites to lift the trophy in Istanbul in three weeks' time."
"For Unai Emery, a record fifth Europa League title has long been the target while Evangelos Marinakis, Forest's ambitious owner, began this season adamant the squad could go deep into the competition."
Lucas Digne's handball allowed Nottingham Forest to score a penalty, taken by Chris Wood, in the Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa. Despite Emiliano Martinez's impressive saves, he could not stop the penalty. The match atmosphere was intense, reflecting the rivalry between the teams. Both clubs aim for silverware, with Unai Emery targeting a fifth Europa League title. Aston Villa is confident about Champions League qualification, while Nottingham Forest focuses on survival in the league.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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