Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are heading into two major European finals after strong semi-final performances that delivered big nights for both English clubs.
Aston Villa booked their place in the Europa League final with a dominant showing at Villa Park, brushing aside Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the second leg to complete a 4-1 aggregate win.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring and set the pace early, before Emiliano Buendía added a second from the penalty spot after a VAR intervention. The game was sealed in style by captain John McGinn, who struck twice in quick succession late on to round off a commanding performance.
Their final opponents, Freiburg, also earned their place in dramatic fashion. The German side overcame Braga 3-1 in the second leg, edging the tie 4-3 on aggregate. Lukas Kübler delivered a standout performance with a brace, while Johan Manzambi also got on the scoresheet in a match that saw Braga reduced to ten men early on.
The Europa League final is set for May 20 at the Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul, where Villa will chase European glory against Freiburg in their first-ever meeting at this stage.
In the Conference League, Crystal Palace continued their impressive run with a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, sealing a 5-2 aggregate victory and securing a place in the final.
An early own goal gave Palace the advantage before Ismaïla Sarr added a second-half finish to confirm their progress and keep their European dream alive.
They will face Rayo Vallecano, who secured their final spot with a disciplined 1-0 away win over Strasbourg, completing a 2-0 aggregate result. A first-half goal from Alemão proved enough to carry the Spanish side through.
The Conference League final is scheduled for May 27 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, where both Palace and Rayo Vallecano will compete for their first major European title.
