42-year first as Leeds United rivals Forest face extra games and triple injury blow | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest reached their first European semi-final in 42 years but suffered a triple injury setback, intensifying their Premier League survival squeeze. They beat Porto 1-0 at the City Ground to take their Europa League quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Forest are fifth-bottom and three points behind Leeds United, and now face at least two more matches in an all-English semi-final with Aston Villa. Villa beat Bologna 7-1 on aggregate.

Eight minutes in, Chris Wood was felled by a late, high challenge from Porto’s Jan Bednarek, and after a VAR review referee Danny Makkelie showed a straight red. With the tie level at 1-1 from the first leg, Morgan Gibbs-White then struck on 12 minutes. Wood initially continued but, after treatment, he was replaced by Igor Jesus on 16 minutes.

Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi also went off with muscular injuries, compounding the cost of victory. Wood’s start had been only his second since October following a lay-off.

Forest host Burnley at two pm on Sunday, the first of six league matches remaining in their survival push.

The semi-final first leg is at the City Ground on Thursday, April 30, with the return at Villa Park on Thursday, May seven. That opener falls six days after a Friday night Premier League clash at Sunderland and four days before a Monday night trip to Chelsea, with the second leg three days after Stamford Bridge and Newcastle United then visiting on the Sunday, three days after Villa Park.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk