sports
Chris Wood gives Nottingham Forest narrow semi-final edge over Aston Villa
There was a sheepish look on Lucas Digne’s face and for the Portuguese referee, João Pinheiro, it was a case of reviewing whether the ball was out of play and not if the Aston Villa defender had handled inside the box. Even Digne wouldn’t dispute that bit. Digne naively raised both hands, presuming the ball would bounce out of play, but Omari Hutchinson kept the phase alive and Nottingham Forest were presented with a chance to strike the first blow in this Europa League semi-final.
TL;DR
- Chris Wood scored a penalty in the Europa League semi-final first leg, giving Nottingham Forest a 1-0 lead over Aston Villa.
- The penalty was awarded after Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne handled the ball in the box.
- Emiliano Mart ínez made a significant save in the first half to keep Aston Villa in the game.
- Braga defeated Freiburg 2-1 in their Europa League semi-final first leg, with a late goal from Mario Dorgeles.
- The winners of the Forest vs. Villa tie will face the winners of the Braga vs. Freiburg tie in the final.