Chris Wood's second-half penalty gave Nottingham Forest a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at the City Ground. The striker calmly converted from the spot after Lucas Digne was penalised for handball, handing Forest a slender advantage to take into next week's second leg at Villa Park.
The match was a tightly contested affair, with both sides creating chances but struggling to find fluency. Forest looked confident throughout, while Villa lacked their usual rhythm. Omari Hutchinson's persistence earned the decisive penalty, as he forced Digne into an error. Wood later said, 'It's good to have the advantage, but it's only the first leg. Cup competitions come down to small margins.'
Aston Villa had opportunities to equalise, with Jadon Sancho and Youri Tielemans both going close in the closing stages. However, Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega produced a solid performance, making several key saves to preserve the clean sheet. Villa will now look to overturn the deficit at home in the second leg.
The result sets up an intriguing return fixture, with Forest holding a narrow lead but Villa expected to be more comfortable playing in front of their own fans. The second leg promises to be a tense encounter as both teams vie for a place in the Europa League final.
