Familiar foes duke it out in a second-leg matchup in the semifinals of the Europa League, as Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest on Thursday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
According to PrizePicks Team Picks, Aston Villa is heavily favored as the home club, returning a 1.69x payout if they secure a victory.
Below, we’ll discuss our Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Europa League semifinals prediction and picks for Thursday’s clash.
Make your picks for Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest on PrizePicks now.
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Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Prediction, Picks for Europa League Semifinals – Thursday, May 7
In the first leg of the semifinals clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, it was Forest that prevailed with a 1-0 victory in front of their home fans. A 71st-minute goal from F Chris Wood was the deciding factor.
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak in the Europa League for Aston Villa, who cruised to a 7-1 win on aggregate in the previous round over Bologna (a Serie A club).
Villa is positioned well for Champions League qualification next season, as they sit in the No. 5 spot in the Premier League table with 58 points. Aston Villa can also ensure they play in the UCL next year by winning the Europa League.
Per PrizePicks Team Picks, a prediction of “Yes” on Aston Villa to win the Europa League has a 2.56x payout, the highest among the remaining teams. Nottingham Forest is slightly behind, with “Yes” carrying a 2.7x payout.
The EPL campaign hasn’t been as kind to Forest, who are 16th in the standings with 42 points. At the very least, a win over Chelsea on Monday does improve the outlook for them avoiding relegation.
During the impressive win against Chelsea, MF Morgan Gibbs-White suffered a scary head injury that forced him to receive stitches, but Forest remains hopeful he can play on Thursday.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Spread, Total Goals, Payouts – Thursday, May 7
Aston Villa enters Thursday’s match as home favorites against Nottingham Forest, returning a 1.69x payout ($100 entry pays out $169) on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
- Winner Payout: Nottingham Forest – 4x | Tie – 3.7x | Aston Villa – 1.69x
- Spread: Aston Villa -1.5 (3.03x Payout)
- Total Goals: 2.5 (Over – 1.81x)
- Both Teams to Score: Yes 1.78x | No 1.96x
Play the Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest spread or total goals on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change. Does not include extra time or penalties.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Prediction to Win – 5/7/26
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest prediction on the winner for Thursday, May 7. Check out more of our soccer picks and predictions on Playbook.
Lock in your Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- Aston Villa is unbeaten at home in the Europa League, posting a 6-0-0 record.
- Across all competitions, Villa has performed well at Villa Park, logging a 17-2-6 record at home.
- Plus, Aston Villa has won four straight against Nottingham Forest when playing as the host team.
- Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has been below average on the road, notching a 10-6-11 record as the visiting club across all competitions.
- According to FotMob, Villa has the third-most goals per match (1.8) and is tied for the fewest goals conceded per match (0.6) in the Europa League.
- Forest is 10th in goals per match (1.6) and eighth-fewest goals conceded per match (0.8) in the Europa League.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Projected Lineups for Thursday, May 7
Here are the projected Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest lineups for today's Europa League match. Lineups are not official.
Aston Villa Lineup vs. Nottingham Forest: Projected 4-2-3-1
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
- Defense: Ian Maatsen, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash
- Midfield: Youri Tielemans, Lamare Bogard, Emiliano Buendia, Igor Jesus, John McGinn
- Forwards: Ollie Watkins
Nottingham Forest Lineup vs. Aston Villa: Projected 4-4-2
- Goalkeeper: Stefan Ortega
- Defense: Neco Williams, Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, Ola Aina
- Midfield: Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Nicolas Dominguez, Omari Hutchinson
- Forwards: Igor Jesus, Chris Wood
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 5/7/26
Here are two Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest picks to target for Thursday, May 7. Player picks via PrizePicks are headlined by GK Emiliano Martinez and F Igor Jesus.
Aston Villa GK Emiliano Martinez vs. Nottingham Forest
Emiliano Martinez Projections via PrizePicks: 2.5 Goalie Saves, 37.5 Passes Attempted
- Emiliano Martinez has made 3+ saves in each of his last six starts in the Europa League.
- Martinez has also tallied at least 3 saves in five of his last six Premier League appearances.
- Nottingham Forest produces the third-most shots on target per match (6.2) in the Europa League, so Martinez could have plenty of save opportunities.
- Although Martinez had only 30 passes in the Europa League loss to Forest in the first leg, he averages 42.8 attempted passes at home in the competition. He averages 38.2 attempted passes on the road in the Europa League.
Add Emiliano Martinez to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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Nottingham Forest F Igor Jesus vs. Aston Villa
Igor Jesus Projections via PrizePicks: 1.5 Shots (Goblin), 0.5 Shots on Target, 0.5 Goals (Demon)
- Igor Jesus has accrued 3 or more shots in three of his last four Europa League appearances.
- Jesus has the sixth-most shots per 90 minutes (4.3) in the Europa League.
- Additionally, Jesus averages the seventh-most shots on target per 90 minutes (2.0).
- Among all players in the Europa League, Jesus is tied for the most goals scored (7) and leads in xG (6.7).
Add Igor Jesus to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Picks on PrizePicks
Aston Villa looks to bounce back following their loss to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals matchup. Can Forest keep their Champions League hopes alive despite being near the relegation zone in the Premier League?
You can make your Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money on Europa League games. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats like shots or goals, and cash in if you’re correct.
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Stick around with the Playbook for continued Europa League predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the competition.
