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04/30 17:13 CDT Wood's penalty gives Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win over Aston
Villa in Europa League semifinal 1st leg
Wood's penalty gives Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win over Aston Villa in Europa
League semifinal 1st leg
By KAREL JANICEK
Associated Press
Chris Wood scored from the penalty spot to give Nottingham Forest a 1-0 victory
over Aston Villa in the first leg of their all-English Europa League semifinal
on Thursday.
In a matchup of two teams hoping to revive former European glory, the win at
the City Ground puts Forest a step closer to what would be its first
continental competition final in 46 years.
Wood fired his 71st-minute penalty high into the net, giving goalkeeper
Emiliano Martnez no chance to save after defender Lucas Digne was whistled for
handball.
Vtor Pereira's team stretched its unbeaten run to nine games in all
competitions. Forest visits Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday before the
semifinal second leg at Villa Park next Thursday.
Forest is in a relegation fight --- currently five points above the Premier
League drop zone. The winner of the Europa League title earns a spot in next
season's Champions League. That could create a scenario in which Forest gets
relegated to England's second division but also plays in Europe's top club
competition.
Forest has returned to Europe after 30 years to reach its fourth semifinal, but
first since the 1984 UEFA Cup. That was after Forest dominated the European Cup
--- the predecessor of the Champions League --- and won the trophy in 1979 and
1980. Villa became the European champion two years later.
Unai Emery's Villa sits fifth in the Premier League and stands a good chance of
qualifying for the Champions League domestically.
Braga beats Freiburg In the other semifinal, Braga beat Freiburg 2-1 after substitute Mario Dorgeles netted the winner in second-half stoppage time in Portugal. At 1-1, Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu denied Braga a golden opportunity to restore a lead by diving to his right to save a spot kick by Rodrigo Zalazar. The Portuguese side hopes to advance to the final again after it lost to domestic rival Porto 1-0 in the 2011 title match. The second legs are next Thursday and the final is in Istanbul on May 20.
Sarr on target again for Crystal Palace In the third-tier Conference League, Ismala Sarr scored in the opening minute as Crystal Palace beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in the opening leg of their semifinal. Daichi Kamada and Jorgen Strand Larsen also scored for Palace after Oleh Ocheretko had equalized for Shakhtar. The game was played in Krakow, Poland, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The second leg is next Thursday in London. Rayo Vallecano beat Strasbourg 1-0 in the Thursday's other semifinal. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Braga beats Freiburg In the other semifinal, Braga beat Freiburg 2-1 after substitute Mario Dorgeles netted the winner in second-half stoppage time in Portugal. At 1-1, Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu denied Braga a golden opportunity to restore a lead by diving to his right to save a spot kick by Rodrigo Zalazar. The Portuguese side hopes to advance to the final again after it lost to domestic rival Porto 1-0 in the 2011 title match. The second legs are next Thursday and the final is in Istanbul on May 20.
Sarr on target again for Crystal Palace In the third-tier Conference League, Ismala Sarr scored in the opening minute as Crystal Palace beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in the opening leg of their semifinal. Daichi Kamada and Jorgen Strand Larsen also scored for Palace after Oleh Ocheretko had equalized for Shakhtar. The game was played in Krakow, Poland, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The second leg is next Thursday in London. Rayo Vallecano beat Strasbourg 1-0 in the Thursday's other semifinal. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
