The UEFA Europa League 2025/26 season has its semi-finalists, with Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Braga, and SC Freiburg advancing after Thursday’s decisive quarter-final second legs. Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Bologna, and Porto have all been eliminated.
Freiburg and Aston Villa, widely tipped as favorites, dominated their ties both at home and away. Freiburg secured a commanding 3-1 victory in their second leg against Celta Vigo, sealing a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate win. Similarly, Aston Villa dispatched Bologna with a resounding 4-0 triumph in their return fixture, completing a dominant 7-1 aggregate victory.
Nottingham Forest benefited from an early stroke of luck when Porto were reduced to ten men just eight minutes into the match. A solitary goal from Morgan Gibbs-White was enough to propel the English side into the semi-finals, with a narrow 1-0 win on the night and a 2-1 aggregate scoreline.
The biggest upset of the round came from Real Betis. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the Seville-based club took a commanding 2-0 lead in the first half of their return fixture. However, Braga staged a remarkable comeback, turning the tide from a 2-0 deficit to a 4-2 victory. This stunning turnaround sees Real Betis, last year’s Europa Conference League finalists, crashing out of the competition.
Europa League Quarter-Final Results (April 16th):
- Celta Vigo vs. Freiburg: 1-3 (1-6 on aggregate)
- Real Betis vs. Braga: 2-4 (3-5 on aggregate)
- Nottingham Forest vs. Porto: 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate)
- Aston Villa vs. Bologna: 4-0 (7-1 on aggregate)