Unai Emery’s Aston Villa emerged as the night's biggest winners, while Nottingham Forest showed immense resilience to keep their European dreams alive ahead of the return legs.
Aston Villa Dominate in Bologna
Aston Villa took a commanding step toward the semi-finals with a 3-1 away victory against Bologna. The English side displayed the tactical maturity that has become a hallmark of Emery's tenure.
Ezri Konsa opened the scoring with a powerful header from a Youri Tielemans corner just before halftime. However, the night belonged to Ollie Watkins, whose clinical brace in the second half silenced the home support. Despite a late consolation goal from Bologna's Jonathan Rowe, the Villans return to Birmingham with a significant two-goal cushion.
Freiburg Edge Closer to Historic Semi-Final
In Germany, SC Freiburg put one foot in the final four with a dominant 3-0 demolition of Celta Vigo. Captain Vincenzo Grifo set the tone with an early curling effort, followed by strikes from Niklas Beste and Matthias Ginter. Celta Vigo struggled to find their rhythm, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes.
Resilient Nottingham Forest Secure Vital Draw
Over in Portugal, Nottingham Forest earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against FC Porto. The match was defined by a bizarre Martim Fernandes own goal that gifted Forest an equalizer after Porto had taken an early lead through William Gomes. The result provides Vitor Pereira’s side with a massive psychological boost as they prepare to host the second leg at the City Ground.
UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final First Leg Scores
The following table summarizes the results from the first-leg fixtures:
What Happens Next?
The second-leg fixtures are scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026. With the away goals rule no longer in effect, the ties in Porto/Nottingham and Braga/Betis are effectively "winner-takes-all" scenarios.
Aston Villa and Freiburg remain heavy favorites to progress, but as European football has proven time and again, no lead is safe until the final whistle blows. The victors of these ties will move one step closer to the final in Istanbul, scheduled for May 20, 2026.