Ola Aina picked up an injury and had to be substituted in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal clash on Thursday.
The Nigerian International started the game and had completed the most tackles (2) before he was replaced by Zach Abbott in the 75th minute.
However, the hosts went on to secure a hard-fought win, giving them a crucial advantage ahead of the second leg next week.
Following a goalless first half, Nottingham Forest took the lead in the 71st minute after a penalty was awarded to them. The hosts got a golden opportunity as Lucas Digne handled the ball inside the box.
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After a long VAR check, the spot-kick was given. Chris Wood stepped up and converted in ruthless fashion, giving his side a 1-0 lead.
Unai Emery made some changes to try and get Aston Villa back into the game. However, the substitutions did little to change the result, as Forest held on to secure victory.
The result makes the tie finely poised ahead of the return leg at Villa Park next week. Before then, Aston Villa will host relegation battlers Tottenham on Sunday while Nottingham Forest face Chelsea on Monday.
Nottingham Forest, who are now on a nine-game unbeaten run, will hope Ola Aina’s injury is nothing serious as they look to end the season on a high note.
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