Midtjylland Upsets Nottingham Forest While Aston Villa Defeats Lille in Europa League
Nottingham Forest endured a surprising 1-0 loss to Midtjylland in the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie, whereas Aston Villas Ollie Watkins broke his scoring slump with the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Lille on Thursday.
Cho Gue-sungs late effort stunned Vitor Pereiras team at the City Ground, marking the second defeat for Forest against the Danish outfit this season.
Having lost 3-2 at home to Midtjylland during the group phase in October under their second manager of the season, Ange Postecoglou, the struggling Premier League side now needs to claim their first victory on Danish soil this term in the return fixture on March 19 to progress.
Midtjylland boasts 12 wins from their past 14 European outings.
Sitting just above the relegation spots in the Premier League on goal difference, Forest came near to scoring when Omari Hutchinsons long-range shot from 30 yards was pushed away by Elias Rafn Olafsson.
Elliot Andersons curling attempt prompted yet another strong stop from Olafsson, and Philip Billing cleared a header off the line to prevent Pedro Bravo from putting through his own net.
Amid heavy downpours, Forest slipped up in the 80th minute, prompting boos from the disappointed supporters.
Ousmane Diao delivered a cross to Cho, allowing the South Korean forward to head firmly past Matz Sels from near the goal line.
"It is hard to put into words. We generated plenty of opportunities. A draw would have felt unjust," Pereira commented.
"They managed two opportunities and converted one. Yet we had ample time left, and the match was within reach. Even the weather worked against us!"
Over at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Watkins found the net for the first time in eight outings across all competitions, positioning Villa well for a quarter-final spot.
This second-half strike marked only his ninth goal in a lacklustre season, with just two in his previous 13 appearances.
He struck in the 61st minute by heading Emiliano Buendias nod back over Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer in a looping fashion.
With Watkins contribution, Unai Emerys squad, who previously overcame Lille in the 2024 UEFA Conference League quarter-finals, enters the Villa Park return leg as clear frontrunners to move on.
Villa has secured eight triumphs in nine Europa League matches this campaign, intensifying their push to lift a trophy after three decades without silverware.
A vital encounter
Emerys team had faltered lately, with a heavy loss to league basement dwellers Wolves and a 4-1 hammering by Chelsea.
However, the win against Lille provided a significant lift ahead of a key Premier League meeting with Manchester United on Sunday, vital for Champions League qualification hopes.
It also represented Emerys 100th win as Villa manager.
"Ollie remains diligent and steady in his duties," Emery noted. "The key aspect was our focused performance.
"We understand the challenge posed by their home crowd."
Brazilian forward Endrick earned Lyon a 1-1 stalemate away to 10-man Celta Vigo.
Javier Rueda fired in Williot Swedbergs delivery for Celta in the 25th minute.
Yet the hosts saw Borja Iglesias dismissed for a second yellow in the 54th minute.
Lyon clung on for a point courtesy of the loaneed Real Madrid youngster Endrick, whose 87th-minute effort from distance was spilled over the line by Celta custodian Ionut Radu.
Romas Lorenzo Pellegrini earned a 1-1 tie in the Italian derby versus Bologna.
Sitting fifth in Serie A and 12 points clear of eighth-placed Bologna, Roma trailed after Federico Bernardeschi netted in the 50th minute, finishing sharply from Jonathan Rowes pass.
Pellegrini entered as a substitute and equalised for Roma in the 71st minute, slotting home Donyell Malens supply.
Porto, topping the Portuguese league, triumphed 2-1 over Stuttgart, while Genk claimed a 1-0 win against Freiburg in Belgium.
Ferencvaros overcame Sporting Braga 2-0 in Budapest, and Panathinaikos pulled off a 1-0 upset victory at home to Real Betis.