Ollie Watkins initiated a triumphant night for Aston Villa, scoring his 100th goal for the club, which propelled Unai Emery’s team into an all-English Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The England forward, eager for a late inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, found the net in the 16th minute. Following his opener, goals from Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers—who redeemed himself after missing a penalty—solidified Villa’s lead by halftime.
Ezri Konsa, who had scored the first goal in the initial leg last week, capped off the remarkable 7-1 aggregate victory by volleying in after Tammy Abraham had redirected a corner.
Emery, aiming for his fifth title in this tournament, had a favorable quarter-final matchup. With this win, Villa can also focus on their quest for Champions League qualification in the Premier League, where they currently hold a seven-point advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea ahead of their upcoming match against Sunderland.
Watkins’ goal marked his fifth in seven matches and set a new club record with ten goals in European competitions, as he seeks to regain his top form after being omitted from the England squad. If Tuchel is considering alternatives to Harry Kane, Watkins hopes to be part of that conversation.
“Today was a significant day for Ollie Watkins,” Emery stated. “We rely on him for goals and assists, but it’s crucial for other players to contribute as well. Strikers play a vital role.”
This encounter marks the first all-English European semi-final since Arsenal faced Manchester United in the 2008-09 Champions League. Villa’s first leg against Forest will take place on April 30, followed by the return fixture at Villa Park on May 7.
With a 3-1 advantage from the first leg, Emery opted for an unchanged lineup, marking the first time in his tenure that Villa maintained the same starting eleven for consecutive European matches. Villa remained unbeaten in Europe when both John McGinn and Youri Tielemans were in the lineup, and they quickly seized control of the match. Operating in a compact 4-4-2 formation alongside Watkins, Rogers pressured the Italian defense before passing to Tielemans. The ball found Buendía just outside the box, whose perfectly weighted pass allowed Rogers to advance and deliver a cross that Watkins finished with ease for his 13th goal this season.
Rogers’ header, resulting from a cross by Lucas Digne, inadvertently struck Martin Vitik’s arm, leading to a penalty decision confirmed by the video assistant referee. However, Federico Ravaglia managed to save Rogers’ penalty attempt, leaving him without a goal since early February.
“He’ll be disappointed about the penalty,” said captain McGinn. “At 23, with expectations on his shoulders—being a key player for Villa and England—he occasionally experiences dips in form. But he’s a leader, and he demonstrated that he can recover from setbacks. We will need him for the remainder of the season, and fortunately, he avoided a yellow card, as did several of us.”
Rogers and McGinn were among five Villa players who would have been suspended for the semi-final’s first leg had they received yellow cards.
After a three-minute delay for the handball incident leading to the penalty, Villa quickly rectified the situation. Following a throw-in from Digne that sailed over Juan Miranda, Buendía skillfully maneuvered in from the byline and fired his shot into the near post.
While conceding a goal at the near post may be seen as a stroke of bad luck, allowing a second shot in that area raises questions about defensive attentiveness. When McGinn sent the ball wide to Rogers, Ravaglia was expected to make the save but failed to do so again, much to the delight of the Villa supporters.
Since their loss in September during the group stage, Bologna had secured five consecutive away victories in this competition. However, Villa has proven to be formidable at home in European contests, marking their third straight European quarter-final and winning 16 of their 18 significant European matches on home turf, suggesting they are regaining their form at an opportune moment.
