Aston Villa
went into the 2025-26 Europa League with their sights set on the one trophy
Unai Emery hadn't quite managed to deliver at Villa Park. The Spaniard had
taken the club to the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2023-24 and the
Champions League quarter-finals last season.
Istanbul on
20 May, against SC Freiburg, is where that progression leads. Fans will find Villa the
favourites to lift the trophy, but their final challenge is a Bundesliga side
who have been the surprise package of the competition.
A solid
base in the league phase
Villa's
campaign began on 25 September 2025, and they went about the league phase
efficiently, winning six of their eight matches. A 1-0 win over Bologna on
matchday one was followed by a 2-0 victory away at Feyenoord. The only loss in
those opening eight games came at Go Ahead Eagles, a 2-1 defeat that barely
registered as a concern given the form surrounding it.
By the time
the league phase concluded, Villa had beaten Fenerbahce in Istanbul and seen
off Salzburg 3-2 in their final home group outing to confirm their place in the
round of 16 as one of the competition's top sides.
Overcoming
Lille
The round of
16 paired Villa with Lille, and the tie was settled with minimal fuss. An
Emiliano Buendia-inspired first leg in France ended 1-0 to the visitors,
putting Villa in full control before they completed the job with a 2-0 win at
Villa Park, going through 3-0 on aggregate. Lille had reached the knockout
stages in good form but had no answer to the precision Emery's side showed
across both legs.
Dismantling
Bologna
The
quarter-finals brought a rematch with Bologna, the Italian side Villa had
beaten on the opening matchday. This time, the scoreline was far more emphatic.
Villa won the first leg 3-1 in Italy before completing an aggregate 7-1
demolition with a 4-0 victory at home.
It was the standout result of the quarter-final round across the whole competition and confirmed Villa as one of the clear favourites for the trophy.
The
semi-final against Nottingham Forest
The draw
produced an all-English tie against Nottingham Forest, and the first leg at the
City Ground ended 1-0 to the hosts after Chris Wood converted a penalty. Villa
were a goal down, away from home, and facing a Forest side that had gone ten
games unbeaten in all competitions.
The second
leg at Villa Park told a completely different story. Villa levelled the
aggregate in the 36th minute through Ollie Watkins, Buendia converted a
second-half penalty to make it 2-0, and John McGinn sealed it with two goals in
three minutes late on to complete a 4-0 win and a 4-1 aggregate victory. Villa
Park hadn't seen a night like it in years. Emery is now one win away from his
fifth Europa League title.
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