Ola Aina urges Forest fans to lift atmosphere for Europa League semi

Ola Aina has called on Nottingham Forest supporters to turn the City Ground into a cauldron when they host Aston Villa in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final.

The two Premier League sides face off on Thursday evening with a place in the final in Istanbul on the line, adding extra weight to an already high-stakes tie. Both clubs have rich European histories, with Forest winning back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 and Villa lifting the trophy in 1982.

Aina knows Unai Emery’s Villa will provide a serious test but believes Forest can rise to the occasion. “It’s going to be a tough game for both sides, but one we will relish,” he said. “We need to be on top form and we’ll need the fans behind us.” The right-back underlined the strength within the squad and insisted Forest can go toe to toe with anyone when they hit their level.

“We have fantastic players and we can compete with any team. We just need to give our best and hopefully get the result we want,” Aina added. Forest will be aiming to seize the initiative at home and carry an advantage into the second leg as they chase a place in a major European final.