sports
Buendía and McGinn the heroes as Villa fire past Forest to reach Europa League final
In the end, it was a rout, Aston Villa sailing into their first major European final since 1982. There were fist pumps from Prince William high in the Trinity Road Stand after Emiliano Buendía’s penalty approaching the hour put Villa in command of the tie and then pure delirium as John McGinn buried two near-identical first-time finishes inside five minutes to kill the game. In between serenading Unai Emery, who is hunting a record fifth Europa League title, and drinking in the celebrations, Villa supporters could think about booking flights to Istanbul, where Villa will face Freiburg in search of their first trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1996.

TL;DR
- Aston Villa reached their first major European final since 1982 with a decisive win over Nottingham Forest.
- Ollie Watkins scored the opening goal, followed by a penalty from Emiliano Buendía.
- John McGinn sealed the victory with two goals in quick succession.
- Villa will face Freiburg in Istanbul, aiming for their first trophy since 1996.
- Nottingham Forest's 10-game unbeaten run was ended by the defeat.