Yesterday, Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Porto, winning their quarter-final second leg 1-0 with a goal from Morgan Gibbs-White. Aston Villa delivered a more commanding performance, defeating Bologna 4-0 at home with goals from Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendia, Morgan Rogers, and Ezri Konsa, progressing to the semi-finals with an impressive 7-1 aggregate.

Ollie Watkins celebrates a goal during Aston Villa's 4-0 victory over Bologna in the Europa League quarter-final second leg at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, on 16/4/2026. Photo: UEFA

Ollie Watkins was a standout, reaching 100 goals across all competitions since joining Aston Villa. He became the third Premier League player to hit this milestone in the same period, behind Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and Erling Haaland (Man City). Watkins also scored 10 goals in European cup competitions, a club record for Aston Villa.

"This is a milestone every striker aims for. My next goal is 100 Premier League goals. The team is in top form, and we have many goals ahead," Watkins stated regarding the semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

The Aston Villa versus Nottingham Forest tie marks the first all-English semi-final in a European competition since Arsenal met Man Utd in the Champions League in 2009. The last such occurrence in the Europa League was in 1973, when Liverpool faced Tottenham.

Europa League 2025-2026 knockout round bracket. Photo: UEFA

The other semi-final features Braga against Freiburg. Braga mounted an impressive comeback, defeating Betis 4-2 in their quarter-final second leg to advance with a 5-3 aggregate. Freiburg also progressed, winning 3-1 at Celta Vigo for a 6-1 aggregate victory.

This marks Freiburg’s first appearance in a European semi-final. Freiburg is also one of two Bundesliga representatives in European cup semi-finals this season, alongside Bayern Munich, who defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Following the victory in Spain, coach Julian Schuster expressed pride in his players, highlighting their consistent performance over both legs. Captain Vincenzo Grifo praised the team's display, especially their ability to capitalize on opportunities when the opponent pushed forward. The Italy midfielder believed Freiburg effectively controlled the game and deserved to advance.

The Europa League semi-final first legs will take place on 30/4, with the second legs scheduled one week later. The final will be held on 20/5 at Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

Conference League 2025-2026 knockout round bracket. Photo: UEFA

The two Conference League semi-final matchups have also been determined: Rayo Vallecano will face Strasbourg, and Crystal Palace will play Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Conference League semi-final first legs are set for 30/4, with the second legs following one week later. The final will be played on 27/5 at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

Hong Duy