• Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg, as Chris Wood converted from the penalty spot.

• Villa have lost each of their last three successive matches across all competitions, which doesn’t bode well for their chances of mounting a comeback here.

• It finished 3-1 when these sides met at Villa Park in the league back in January.

📂 Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Cheat Sheet

📈 Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Form & Tactics

Aston Villa have been one of the most convincing sides in the Europa League this season, and they have won all six of their home matches on the European stage.

However, they were dealt a damning defeat against a struggling Tottenham side at the weekend, which is sure to hurt their confidence. Villa looked off the pace on home turf, and Spurs had plenty of chances to score in the first half. In fact, Unai Emery’s men managed just five shots in the game, and their only shot on target was in the 96th minute.

That was Villa’s third straight loss, which highlights how their form has dipped at the wrong time. Still, the Villains are six points above Bournemouth, so they are still well on track to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Forest’s form has been a stark contrast, and they have won five matches on the spin heading into this Europa League semi-final. Despite opting for a rotated lineup, Forest cruised to a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on Monday night, which shows just how much confidence they are playing with at the moment. In their previous league game, they thrashed Sunderland 5-0 at the Stadium of Light - Forest won't be intimidated by this trip to Villa Park.

📔 Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Formation & Team News

Unai Emery faces a selection headache in central midfield, with Amadou Onana seemingly out of this match through injury - he was missing from the matchday squad against Spurs. Boubacar Kamara is also in the treatment room, so Youri Tielemans should partner Lamare Bogarde here.

There should be a few changes at the back midweek, with Ezri Konsa, Digne, and Pau Torres all set for a recall, while Matty Cash should keep his spot on the right. Watkins should return to lead the line, with Emi Buendia on the left.

With his side sitting comfortably above the relegation zone, Vitor Pereira opted for some rotation against Chelsea last time out, but he was dealt a significant injury blow as Morgan Gibbs-White hobbled off, despite only being introduced into the game at half-time - he has emerged as a doubt.

Despite his brace, Taiwo Awoniyi is likely to drop out for Chris Wood here, while Nikola Milenkovic could also return to partner Morato.

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