Europa League Drama: Villa Advances, Forest Stumbles, Celtic Hangs On
Aston Villa booked their ticket directly to the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday evening with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Turkish giants Fenerbahce. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest suffered a costly 1-0 defeat at Braga, and Celtic were left ruing a missed opportunity after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Bologna.
Sancho Header Seals Villa's Progression
The decisive moment in Istanbul arrived midway through the first half when Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, powered home a header to give Unai Emery's side the lead. This crucial goal secured Aston Villa's sixth win in their last seven European outings, guaranteeing them a top-two finish in their group and allowing them to bypass the upcoming knockout round play-offs.
"I'm just happy to get my first goal for Aston Villa and to top it off with that, it's a win," Sancho told TNT Sports after the match. "Honestly, I know I can do a lot more. I'm very hard on myself in that aspect. It's nice to have a manager that backs you and obviously believes in you."
Villa had to withstand significant pressure in the second half, with Matty Cash hitting the post and Fenerbahce goalkeeper Marco Bizot making several key saves to preserve the clean sheet. The result leaves Villa second in the standings on 18 points, trailing only Lyon on goal difference after the French side secured their own last-16 place with a 1-0 win at Young Boys.
Forest's Costly 'Minute of Madness' in Braga
In stark contrast, Nottingham Forest's European campaign hit a major setback with a disappointing 1-0 loss away to Portuguese side Braga. The match turned on a disastrous sequence early in the second half. Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White saw a penalty saved, and from the ensuing counter-attack, Braga scored the only goal of the game as Forest captain Ryan Yates inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Forest's frustrations were compounded in stoppage time when Elliot Anderson was sent off for dissent. Manager Sean Dyche lamented the costly error, describing it as "one minute of madness" in a game where his team otherwise looked comfortable. The defeat leaves Forest facing the prospect of entering the play-off round instead of securing direct qualification.
Celtic Blow Lead, Rangers Bow Out
Celtic's path to the knockout stages became more complicated after they let a two-goal advantage slip in Italy. The Scottish champions took an early lead through Reo Hatate, but the Japanese international was sent off for a second yellow card before halftime. Despite being down to ten men, Celtic doubled their lead through defender Auston Trusty.
However, Bologna mounted a spirited comeback in the second half with goals from Thijs Dallings and Jonathan Rowe to snatch a 2-2 draw. The result leaves Celtic in 24th position in the 36-team table, clinging to the final play-off spot. Their qualification now hinges on their final group game next Thursday against winless Utrecht.
"We've given ourselves a chance - that's all, a chance - of qualifying. And from that viewpoint, I'm delighted," said Celtic manager Martin O'Neill. "My own view is that if we had stayed with 11 men, I think we would have won the game."
Elsewhere, arch-rivals Rangers were eliminated from the competition despite securing their first win of the group stage, a 1-0 victory over Ludogorets at Ibrox courtesy of a Mohamed Diomande goal. The result was not enough to keep their European dreams alive this season.
In other notable Europa League action, Freiburg and Midtjylland are both on the verge of securing last-16 berths, while Roma strengthened their position with a 2-0 victory over Stuttgart, marking their fourth consecutive win in the competition.
