Paul Merson says the Europa League semi-final between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will feel like a final.
Chris Wood’s second-half penalty gave Nottingham Forest an equalizing advantage as Vitor Pereira’s side won the first leg 1-0, taking them 90 minutes from reaching their first European final in 46 years.
Braga or Freiburg will now take a 2-1 lead in the first leg for the final in Istanbul on May 20, but Merson believes it is a winner-take-all between Villa and Forest to win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Keep reading for Merson’s full preview of Thursday’s crucial Europa League game…
“There are concerns about Villa.”
Heartbroken Matty Cash and Victor Lindelof leave the pitch at half-time
I’m worried about Aston Villa’s form.
They have now lost three games, but all is not lost as they still have two chances to qualify for the Champions League.
They have some tough league games left to finish the season at Liverpool and Man City, but the other game is at Burnley and they will be expected to win.
I was surprised that Aston Villa rested so much against Spurs on Sunday, as a win would have secured them Champions League qualification.
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Premier League highlights of Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur
We could have been nine points ahead of Bournemouth with three games left, and I felt that with the way Bournemouth had played, it would have all been over and done with.
They still have a chance to settle the game against Burnley, but spoiling that game could make it a little harder for Villa with Liverpool and City on the line.
But the most important game for me is Thursday’s Europa League game against Nottingham Forest.
“If we win against Villa and Forest, we have a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League.”
Igor Jesus scores as Nottingham Forest beat Chelsea
This game feels like a cup final to me. If either Braga or Freiburg make it to the final, it will be a winner-take-all situation.
That means Thursday’s winner has a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
It’s an important game for both teams, but especially for Forest, as Villa have a back-up option to qualify for the Champions League through league play.
I was confident that Aston Villa would beat Forest in the second leg, especially after watching a league match between both teams at the City Ground a few weeks ago. Villa destroyed them and I thought they were the much better team.
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood scores from the penalty spot against Aston Villa
But Forest won the first leg, and while they were terrible I saw them at Chelsea, they were really strong at Stamford Bridge. They’re hitting the straps at just the right time.
They were outstanding against Chelsea, but it wasn’t even in their first-choice eleven. Then they brought in five first-team players and they were outstanding. They played with pace and tempo and moved the ball really well. They are playing with a lot of confidence right now.
So, after watching the games between these two teams over the past few days, it would be a shock now if Aston Villa were to emerge victorious.
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Watch for free: Premier League match highlights between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest
I know Chelsea were poor but we still have to go to Stamford Bridge and win. They have reached a true purple patch and full credit goes to Vitor Pereira.
I like the fact that they are playing with two strikers and the team has no idea how to deal with it.
Defenders these days face just one striker throughout their career, one to mark and one to be sent off. But suddenly they were faced with two strikers, and they couldn’t get a hold of them. They both have to mark someone and be crazy about it.
It really tears the team apart and I love it.
“Emery is a winner – he’s focused on winning the Europa League.”
Merson defended Unai Emery’s decision to make seven changes as Villa lost to Spurs
In Unai Emery’s defense and his team selection at Spurs, football is about winning trophies.
He is a manager who wants to win trophies. That’s why he did what he did against Spurs, I can’t deny that.
At the end of the day, do they want to finish fifth and qualify for the Champions League, but lose in the opening games of next season? Or do they want to finish sixth, win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League?
I want to win trophies and I think Emery will too.
That’s the problem with football now. Everyone wants to play in the Champions League, but it’s not about winning the trophy anymore.
That’s why I like Emery. he wants to win. He wants to win the Europa League.
While he is confident they will get over the line and qualify for the Champions League fair play, Emery would rather win the Europa League than finish fifth.
He proved that against Spurs.
You want to win trophies at the end of your career. You want to win the trophy.
You don’t want to sit down with your grandchildren after you retire and have to report that even though you didn’t win anything, you finished fifth and qualified for the Champions League. Next question: “Did we win the Champions League?”
“Of course I didn’t.”
You’ll want to tell them that you won the trophy, that you won the Europa League, that it’s the second biggest trophy you can win in Europe, and that it was a great night.
That’s all players need to worry about. That’s how Emery thinks.
