Ola Aina braces for all-English Europa League semifinal

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has revealed that he is expecting a difficult duel against fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

The Tricky Trees booked their spot in the last four of the Europa League after a 1-0 victory over Portuguese side FC Porto in the second leg of their quarter-final tie at the City Ground on Thursday, securing a 2-1 win on aggregate.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa pulverized Italian club Bologna 7-1 on aggregate in their respective quarter-final clash.

Aina focused on final push

Speaking to Nottingham Forest TV, Aina insisted the team must give their best to reach the final.

“At the beginning of the season, these are the sort of games you want to play in, so we have to soak everything up and try our best. It will be a tough game against Aston Villa, we already know how good they are.”

The Reds will host the first leg at the City Ground on Thursday, April 30, with the reverse fixture taking place at Villa Park a week later.