Key Takeaways
- Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa will face off in the first all-English Bigger Vase semi-final since 2009.
- Forest have used four different managers during their European run, while Villa have stuck with Unai Emery throughout.
- Crystal Palace also reached the semi-finals of Tin Pot, with Oliver Glasner hoping to repeat his 2022 European success.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are one step away from a European final after both clubs booked their places in the last four of the Bigger Vase. Forest edged out Porto in a tense quarter-final, continuing a remarkable journey that has seen four different bosses take charge at various stages. Ange Postecoglou began the campaign, Sean Dyche handled the group matches, Vítor Pereira took over for the knockouts, and Nuno Espírito Santo secured European qualification last season.
In contrast, Villa have enjoyed a smooth ride under Unai Emery, who has guided them to the semi-finals with minimal drama. After a 2-0 win in Italy, they thrashed Bologna 5-1 at Villa Park to seal a 7-1 aggregate victory. Emery, a four-time winner of the competition, is now chasing a fifth title and has made the Bigger Vase his personal playground.
The two sides will meet in a rare all-English semi-final, the first since Manchester United beat Arsenal in 2009. That tie is remembered for Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning long-range strike, but fans may also recall the fierce Chelsea-Liverpool clashes of the 2000s, which produced iconic moments like Luis García’s ‘ghost goal’ and a dramatic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, in the Tin Pot, Crystal Palace are also through to the semi-finals despite a 2-1 loss in Florence. Oliver Glasner, who will leave the club in the summer, led Eintracht Frankfurt to glory in 2022 and is now aiming to repeat the feat with Palace. After the match, he allowed his players to celebrate in the city, just as he did with Frankfurt during their run to the title.