Aston Villa Vs Nottingham Forest Highlights, Europa League: John McGinn Brace Sends AVFC Through To Final

• Location: Birmingham

• Stadium: Villa Park

• Date: Friday, May 8

• Kick-off Time: 12:30 AM IST.

Aston Villa have won each of their last nine home games in major European competition, since a 0-0 draw with Juventus in last season’s Champions League.

Forest are looking to reach their third major European final after, the 1978-79 and 1979-80 European Cups. The Premier League side have been knocked out from one of their last 13 knockout stage ties.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Lindelof, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins

Substitutes: Bizot, Wright, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Garcia, Luiz, Bailey, Elliott, Sancho, Abraham

Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega, Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Dominguez, Anderson, McAtee, Jesus, Wood.

Substitutes: Sels, Willows, Murillo, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Lucca, Yates, Bakwa, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks

"I am excited, 100%. I am so motivated. When I arrived here three and a half years ago, it was a dream to be playing a semi-final in the Europa League.

"I'm going to enjoy it. In fact, I'm enjoying it now. I would prefer to be here right now [talking to the media] than at home.

"To reach a semi-final is a huge achievement. To win a trophy is very difficult. It's not a defeat if we don't win a trophy. The objective is to always keep improving and make sure we have these opportunities in the present and in the future. We have the opportunity right now, but only one team is going to win. This is football."

We are minutes away from kick-off at the boisterous Villa Park with the home fans in full voice, supporting and backing their team.

Midlands Derby as Villa get underway at Villa Park.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest 1'

The decibel level inside Villa Park is sky-high. The home crowd are doing everything they can to back their team and push to overturn the first-leg deficit.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest 3'

Villa's first chance of the game falls for Pau Torres after a cross from Matty Cash as it falls for the Spanish defender who's header is tipped over the bar by Stefan Ortega.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest 12'

Some neat intricate play from Villa sees Nottingham Forest players get involve in fouls with Morato being yellow carded early on.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest 19'

Seems like Morato and Ollie Watkins have had a clash inside the penalty area and both players have gone down clutching their heads. We have a stoppage now and it seems NFC will be the relieved one, given how the hosts have started against them.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 0-1) 25'

Youri Tielmans sees his long-range effort go wide off the post, with the hosts piling on the pressure on Nottingham Forest. It's a breathtaking half especially for the home team, who have no goal to show for it yet.

Aston Villa 0-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 0-1) 35'

Villa are level! Ollie Watkins brings Villa level in the semi-final with a great goal as Emi Buendia skips past two Forest players, to tee it up for his AVFC forward and Watkins makes no mistake.

Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 1-1) 36'

Nottingham Forest have not had a shot on target so far in this game. And every time Villa surge ahead, they look likely to score.

Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 1-1) 45'

HT in the second-leg semi-final with Watkins' goal the difference-maker. Forest have had no shot on target and have not looked the team that has cutting apart teams in the Premier League. Plenty of work for Vitor Pereira to do.

Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 1-1) HT

Second-half begins with a vital 45 mins plus stoppages included.

Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 1-1) 46'

Feisty second-half with a team official from the Forest bench being booked after he yelled at the ref for not booking Lucas Digne for the latter's foul on Omari Hutchinson.

Aston Villa 1-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 1-1) 54'

Nikola Milenkovic pulls down Pau Torres and the ref goes to the screen and points to the spot. Emi Buendia takes and puts it away with glee. Villa ahead in the tie.

Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 2-1) 58'

No shot on target for the visitors and Vitor Pereira seems a livid man on the sidelines. Forest have had no joy in the middle of the park and whether they risk Morgan Gibbs-White remains to be seen.

Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 2-1) 63'

Forest send on Lorenzo Lucca and Dilane Bakwa for Morato and Chris Wood.

Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 2-1) 70'

Wow! McGinn has put Villa through! Two goals in in minutes and Forest are punished for it. The Scotland international makes no mistake and Villa can now start booking tickets for Istanbul. He is also the first Villa player to score two goals in a European semis.

Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 4-1) 80'

Great night in the Villa Park tonight. Fans are in full voice and it is showing on the players. They have been on their opponent right from the word 'go'. Forest no where near the form they have produced in the EPL.

Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 4-1) 84'

Aston Villa will face Freiburg in the Europa League final. What a dominating performance from the Villains tonight. Forest have had no chance all through the 90 minutes.

Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (agg 4-1)