Aston Villa faced off against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier tonight as they hope to secure a good result on the road in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal clash. The Villans made a solid start to the game and managed to get to the half-time break with a goalless scoreline.
Chris Wood finally broke the deadlock for Nottingham from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. The Midlands derby ended with the Villans suffering a tough 1-0 loss away from home.
Let’s take a look at how each Aston Villa player fared during the clash against Nottingham Forest.
GK: Emiliano Martinez – 7/10
He made a few solid saves at the back and couldn’t save Wood’s penalty in the second half.
RB: Matty Cash – 6.5/10
Cash earned the ball back twice but lacked quality going forward.
CB: Ezri Konsa – 6.5/10
He put his foot through the ball when he could and was good on the ball.
CB: Pau Torres – 6.5/10
Torres performed his defensive duties well and was tidy with his passing.
LB: Lucas Digne – 6/10
He caught the eye at times but failed to make a difference in the final third.
CM: Amadou Onana – 6.5/10
Onana worked hard defensively but lacked quality on the ball.
CM: Youri Tielemans – 6/10
He made one good run with the ball and was not shy of having a strike at goal.
RW: John McGinn – 7/10
McGinn made a positive impact at both ends of the pitch.
CAM: Morgan Rogers – 7/10
He came back to defend when he could and was a real menace in the final third.
LW: Emi Buendia – 6/10
Buendia was quiet for most of his time on the field.
ST: Ollie Watkins – 6.5/10
He engineered a few inviting chances for others around him but failed to find the back of the net.
Substitutes:
CM: Lamare Bogarde – 6/10
His impact on the game was minimal.
CM: Douglas Luiz – 6/10
He failed to influence the game.
LB: Ian Maatsen – 6/10
Maatsen was solid at the back.
LW: Jadon Sancho – 6/10
He didn’t shy away from having a strike at goal.
