Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Europa League preview, predictions and bet builder tips

Villa head into this clash needing a response after last week’s 1-0 defeat at the City Ground, a result which leaves them with work to do in front of their own supporters.

Unai Emery rested several key players against Tottenham at the weekend, with Villa producing one of their poorest displays of the season. However, all focus now turns towards Europe, where Villa have traditionally been much stronger at home.

Forest, meanwhile, continue to impress under Vitor Pereira and will travel to Villa Park full of confidence after their first-leg victory.

With a place in the Europa League final on the line, read on for our in-depth Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest bet builder.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest match details

Fixture: Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
Competition: UEFA Europa League
Date: Thursday, 7 May, 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Venue: Villa Park

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest match prediction

Our prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest predicted lineups

Aston Villa

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez / Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne / Bogarde, Tielemans / Buendia, Rogers, Sancho / Watkins

Nottingham Forest

Our predicted XI (4-4-2): Ortega / Jair, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams / Bakwa, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson / Wood, Jesus

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest bet builder tips

Aston Villa to win

Aston Villa may have lost the first leg, but recent history at Villa Park strongly favours Unai Emery’s side.

Villa have not lost at home to Nottingham Forest since April 1994 and are unbeaten across their last 11 matches against Thursday night’s opponents.

While Villa rotated heavily against Tottenham at the weekend and suffered one of their worst performances of the season, that decision now needs to pay off in Europe.

A 3-1 Premier League win over Forest at Villa Park back in January also highlights Villa’s strong recent home record in this fixture.

With a place in the final on the line and a rested squad available, our experts are backing Villa to win the second leg.

Both teams to score

Despite the first leg finishing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, recent meetings between these two sides suggest goals at both ends are likely.

Prior to last Thursday’s encounter, both teams had scored in each of the previous five Villa vs Forest meetings.

Villa also have an impressive scoring record in Europe, failing to score in just two of their 17 Europa League matches dating back to 2009.

Forest have been dangerous going forward themselves, scoring in 80% of their Europa League matches this season and netting 14 goals across their last five games in all competitions.

With Forest likely to sit back and counter, while Villa push aggressively for goals, backing both teams to score looks a strong option.

Morgan Rogers to have 1+ shot on target

Morgan Rogers remains Aston Villa’s biggest attacking threat and should be central to everything good Emery’s side produce here.

The England international averages 1.7 shots per game in the Europa League this season, with 0.7 of those efforts finding the target.

Villa dominated possession in the first leg, enjoying over 70% of the ball, and with Forest protecting a lead away from home, we expect a similar pattern on Thursday night.

Rogers registered four shots in the first meeting, with one on target, and he looks well-placed to test the goalkeeper once again.

Lucas Digne to commit 1+ foul

Lucas Digne’s numbers in Europe suggest he could be in for another busy evening defensively.

The French full-back averages 1.6 fouls per Europa League game this season, significantly higher than his Premier League average of 0.4 per match.

Digne also struggled in the first leg against Forest, where he was dribbled past twice and committed two fouls while trying to contain Omari Hutchinson.

With Forest expected to defend deep and attack on the break again, Digne could frequently find himself isolated against quick transitions.

Given the matchup and recent trend, we’re backing Digne to commit at least one foul.

You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create an Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Bet Builder.

With Bet Builder+, you can combine your selections not only within this match, but also across other Europa League fixtures and even different sports.

View the latest football odds here.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.