Nottingham Forest and Celtic were consigned to the Europa League play off round despite final day victories, while Aston Villa produced a stunning comeback to secure a direct path to the last 16 after a thrilling night of European action.
Forest did all they could, thrashing Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros 4-0 at the City Ground with Igor Jesus netting a double. But other results didn’t fall their way, leaving Sean Dyche’s side in 13th. “It has not been easy… To come out of a disappointing one in Braga and then to deliver that I am very pleased,” Dyche told TNT Sports. They will now face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos in a high stakes two legged play off next month.
Celtic secured their knockout spot with a chaotic 4-2 win over Utrecht, racing into a three goal lead inside 20 minutes before surviving a second half scare. They’ll meet Stuttgart or Ferencvaros in the play offs.
The drama of the night belonged to Aston Villa. Already assured of a top two finish, they looked set for a defeat when Red Bull Salzburg surged into a 2-0 lead at Villa Park. But Unai Emery’s side staged a magnificent fightback. Morgan Rogers sparked the revival, Tyrone Mings powered home a header, and 19 year old debutant Jamaldeen Jimoh Aloba wrote the perfect script, netting a late winner for his first senior goal.
“It’s a proud moment for me,” the teenager beamed afterwards. “It’s just really nice to make my family proud.”
The comeback sealed second place in the League Phase, granting Villa a rest until the last 16 where they could face Lille, PAOK, Red Star Belgrade, or Celta Vigo. “He knows how to get his way through a competition, especially this one,” Rogers said of serial winner Emery, a four time Europa League champion. “To have him in our corner is massive.”
Elsewhere, Lyon topped the table, while the likes of Porto, Braga, and Roma secured direct last 16 berths. Rangers’ miserable campaign ended with a 3-1 loss at Porto, their sixth defeat in eight games.
For Forest and Celtic, the job is only half done. They must now navigate a perilous play off to keep their European dreams alive. For Villa and their tactical maestro Emery, the serious business starts in March.
