Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Nottingham Forest holds a 1-0 advantage over Aston Villa after the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie. Chris Wood's 71st-minute penalty gave Forest the edge. Despite ending Aston Villa's nine-match Europa League winning streak, Villa coach Vítor Pereira praised his team's resilience. Nottingham Forest sits lower than Villa in the Premier League, with Villa having defeated Forest 3-1 earlier this season. Defender Matty Cash remains confident for the home leg, stating the game is "nowhere near done." Unai Emery, the competition's most successful coach with four titles, supports Villa's optimism to overturn the deficit in the second leg.
In their first European semi-final, Freiburg lost 2-1 to Braga in the first leg, conceding a late winner in the 92nd minute. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster acknowledged mistakes at the start and end of the game but remains positive for the return leg. Freiburg has won all six of their home games in the campaign, and Schuster believes the team has the quality to rally with home support. Braga, playing their 100th Europa League proper match—the most of any club—has secured eight consecutive two-legged European tie victories. Forward Pau Víctor highlighted Braga's tactical flexibility and squad depth as key assets for the match.
The 2026 UEFA Europa League final is set for Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul.