FOREST HISTORY · Historic event
Wood pen v Villa gives UEL semi lead
On this day in 2026 Forest beat Aston Villa in a Europa League semi-final first leg.
Nottingham Forest gave themselves hope of a first major European final since 1980 by beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final at the City Ground.
Chris Wood scored the only goal from the penalty spot, giving Forest a narrow advantage in an all-English European tie. The penalty came after Omari Hutchinson chased a ball towards the byline and crossed, with Lucas Digne penalised for handball after a VAR review.
The match had already carried tension, with Forest needing to make home advantage count before the return leg at Villa Park. Wood’s penalty gave them the breakthrough, while Emiliano Martínez had earlier denied Igor Jesus to keep the tie close.
The win put Forest within reach of the final, even though the tie was not ultimately completed in their favour. Villa won the second leg 4-0 at Villa Park, eliminating Forest 4-1 on aggregate and turning the first-leg win into a moment of hope rather than the start of a final appearance.
For supporters, the night still belonged to one of the club’s strongest modern European runs. Forest had reached the semi-finals, beaten Villa at the City Ground, and briefly stood close to a European final again.
Sources
UEFA; BBC Sport; The Guardian; Reuter
Forest timeline
Explore more Nottingham Forest history
Browse the timeline to discover more events from this day and beyond:
0–2
3–0
1–1
1–2
4–1
1–0
1–0
2–1
2–0
0–1
0–2
2–2
0–0
1–2
0–1
14:00
16:30
20:00
15:00
17:30
15:00
20:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
16:30
19:30
15:00
19:30
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
16:00
Nottingham Forest won the Simod Cup after a 4-3 extra-time victory over Everton at Wembley. The Full Members’ Cup final became a seven-goal match,…
Nottingham Forest secured an immediate return to the Premier League with a 3-2 win over Peterborough United at London Road. The afternoon began badly.…
Nottingham Forest gave themselves hope of a first major European final since 1980 by beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the first leg of their…