Villa Hold On for 2–1 Win as Forest Crush Malmo in a Dominant 3–0 Display

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest took centre stage on a dramatic Thursday night in European football, delivering two very different performances but sharing the same outcome three points each. Villa overcame a late scare to beat Young Boys 2–1 at Villa Park, while Forest utterly dismantled Malmo 3–0 in a commanding home win that showcased their growing maturity on the continental stage.

At Villa Park, Unai Emery’s men were irresistible for long stretches, playing with pace, fluidity and sharpness. The trio of Rogers, Sancho and Malen caused havoc from the first whistle, and it seemed only a matter of time before Villa turned their pressure into goals. After Malen miscued an early chance, he made amends in the 27th minute. Tielemans picked his moment perfectly, lifting a delicate cross into the box, and Malen rose to crash a header into the bottom corner. Villa’s energy only increased, and the second goal came just before half-time—Rogers slalomed through the middle with devastating intent, feeding Malen, who opened his body and stroked a cultured finish across Keller and into the far corner. It was a striker’s goal full of confidence, and Villa deservedly led 2–0 at the break with an xG of 0.86, while Young Boys had not mustered a single shot.

The second half followed a similar pattern: Villa in control, Young Boys chasing shadows. Sancho, Rogers and Watkins all created opportunities, but Keller kept the scoreline respectable with sharp saves, including a fingertip stop on Sancho’s curling effort and a strong block to deny Watkins. Yet the Swiss visitors refused to wilt. Their substitutes brought life into the contest, and in the 90th minute, Monteiro finally punished Villa’s lapse in focus. A long searching ball from Wuthrich found him tearing through the middle; he brought it down on his chest and unleashed a thunderous volley past Martinez from the edge of the area. Suddenly, what had been a routine evening turned tense, but Villa steadied themselves and held out.

With an xG of 2.03, Villa were full value for their win, and the three points lifted them into second place in the Europa League standings on 12 points. Young Boys, stuck on six points, cling nervously to the edge of the play-off spots.

At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest delivered one of their most complete European performances in decades, sweeping aside Malmo with a dominant 3–0 win. From the outset, Forest were sharper, quicker and more inventive. Their press suffocated Malmo’s attempts to play through midfield, and their attacking unit carved out chance after chance.

Forest took the lead in the 27th minute through Ryan Yates, who arrived perfectly onto a loose ball rolling away from goal and caressed a precise shot into the bottom corner. Calm, tidy and technically pure. The hosts doubled their advantage moments before the break. A short-corner routine opened space for McAtee to whip in a clever in-swinger; Ellborg produced a stunning save to deny Yates, but Arnaud Kalimuendo reacted quickest, tucking home the rebound to claim his first Forest goal. 

The second half was more of the same. Forest moved the ball with confidence, their interplay slick and their structure solid. In the 59th minute, they added a deserved third. A corner led to chaos in the Malmo box; Yates’ volley ricocheted into the path of Nikola Milenkovic, who duly converted from close range. A lengthy VAR check followed, but after more than three minutes, the goal was confirmed. Milenkovic had his moment, and Forest had the cushion their play merited.

Forest nearly made it four when Hudson-Odoi’s looping effort clipped the crossbar moments after the restart, and Sinclair’s late debut brought an added spark as the match wound down. a stark reminder of how badly they were outclassed.

With the victory, Forest surged to 16th in the European standings, strengthening their play-off hopes. Malmo, winless and sitting 34th, face an uphill climb to salvage their campaign.

A night of contrasting paths, but matching outcomes. Villa showed resilience in securing a hard-earned win, while Forest roared with authority. Both sides leave the night with momentum and belief growing fast.