Aston Villa warmed up for their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris St Germain with a crunch 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest which boosts their chances of returning to Europe’s biggest stage next season.
Villa’s electric start saw Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen both score in the opening 15 minutes to put them on the road to a seventh successive win in all competitions.
Three of those have been in the Premier League, which has lifted Unai Emery’s men to sixth in the table behind fifth-placed Manchester City on goal difference.
Although their position could change after the weekend’s games are all played, they have momentum as they set sights on a second successive year of Champions League qualification.
They could still do that by winning this year’s competition and now head to Paris for the club’s biggest game since their European Cup quarter-final loss to Juventus in 1982.
Forest have aspirations of their own to be in next season’s Champions League, though they were hurt by a defeat which could have at least been a draw.
Jota Silva got them back into it in the second half but they missed a host of opportunities to level, with Murillo hitting the crossbar in the 90th minute.
Even with Wednesday’s European jaunt to the French capital looming, it was a surprise when Emery made eight changes to the side which won 3-0 in Brighton on Wednesday.
Our starting XI to face Nottingham Forest 👊 #AVLNFO pic.twitter.com/Z1zFesocgt
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 5, 2025
But the decision was justified after Villa burst into a two-goal lead inside the opening 15 minutes.
Rogers opened the scoring when Youri Tielemans cleverly picked him out with a ball over the top and the England international did the rest, drilling through the legs of Matz Sels with a confident finish.
It was 2-0 two minutes and 18 seconds later when Ian Maatsen tied Ryan Yates up in knots and then fizzed a ball across goal which Malen slammed home from close range.
Forest, forced to change shape because of injuries to strikers Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi, looked all at sea and we were in danger of sinking.
But they settled and showed their threat when Anthony Elanga looked to recreate his midweek winning goal against Manchester United by running in on goal from his own half, but this time fired just wide, with Callum Hudson-Odoi also rolling just off target soon after.
Nuno’s side started the second half with purpose and had two big chances within two minutes.
First, Neco Williams blazed off target from a great position before Hudson-Odoi sent another trademark effort just wide after cutting on to his right foot.
But they deservedly got back into the game in the 57th minute when half-time substitute Jota fired Williams’ cross into the bottom corner.
Forest were swarming and almost levelled immediately but Elliot Anderson was inches away when his effort whistled just past the post.
It was suddenly an end-to-end affair as Villa still retained a threat and Rogers should have restored the two-goal advantage in the 66th minute when he broke away at pace but saw his shot expertly blocked by Sels.
The Belgian goalkeeper was also called into action to deny Marco Asensio and Tielemans either side of Morgan Gibbs-White firing just wide at the other end.
Forest should have drawn level but Williams drilled wide again and Murillo clipped the crossbar with a 30-yard drive.
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