Forest and Villa Eye European Glory, But Premier League Business Calls First

Thursday night delivered contrasting fortunes for two sides who could yet meet in the Europa League semi-finals. Nottingham Forest scraped a 1-1 draw at Porto courtesy of a comical own goal, while Aston Villa demolished Bologna 3-1 with Ollie Watkins grabbing a brace. Should both advance, one team will have the chance to replicate Spurs' triumph from last season.

Yet continental dreams must take a back seat this weekend. Villa sit fourth and desperately need to hang onto that Champions League spot, whereas Forest occupy fifth-bottom and remain embroiled in a dogfight to avoid the drop.

Match Details

The two sides lock horns at the City Ground on Sunday, April 12, with kick-off at 2pm BST. Sky Sports Premier League will broadcast the action from 1pm.

Team News

Elliot Anderson returns for Forest after serving a suspension in midweek. Chris Wood, the striker who has been sidelined for six months, made his comeback appearance in Portugal and is expected to feature from the bench, with Igor Jesus leading the line.

Villa's attacking setup may revolve around Watkins after his double in Bologna, potentially elbowing out Tammy Abraham for a starting role. The visitors continue to sweat on the fitness of Boubacar Kamara and Jadon Sancho, both unavailable through injury.

The Odds

Bookmakers have kept betting markets remarkably tight, with several operators quoting both sides at 13/8 to claim victory. The draw sits at 9/4. Villa are heavily fancied to secure a top-five finish at 1/8, whilst Forest have drifted to 6/1 for relegation following their impressive 3-0 demolition of Spurs in their last league outing.

What to Expect

Forest boast an unbeaten record against Villa at home over their last three meetings, yet Unai Emery's side have enjoyed a considerably stronger domestic campaign overall. The picture becomes murkier when you dig deeper: Forest haven't won a home league game in seven attempts, whilst Villa have dropped their last two away fixtures in the top flight.

Both squads travelled to Europe on Thursday night, facing similar fixture congestion. In such circumstances, the draw holds genuine appeal at 9/4, with 1-1 offering 6/1 returns if you fancy a specific scoreline.

Morgan Gibbs-White, who found the net at Villa Park earlier this season, presents an intriguing goalscorer option. He's managed five goals in Forest's last 13 games across all competitions and looks worth backing at 3/1.