**Nottingham Forest** reached their first European semi-final since 1984, as they set up an all-English Europa League last-four meeting with Aston Villa, after overcoming 10-man **Porto** 1-0 at the City Ground to progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Not since the glory days of Brian Clough have Forest performed as well on the continent, where they won back-to-back European Cups and got to the last four of the UEFA Cup in a five-year period.
Now, Vitor Pereira's current crop are dreaming of writing their own chapter in the club’s storied history.
Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal of the game on a night where the club rallied around England international Elliot Anderson, whose mother died in the build-up to the game.
Forest’s landmark victory, helped by former Southampton defender Jan Bednarek’s early red card, flies in the face of their turbulent season, which has seen them go through four managers.
Their European joy is tempered by their precarious Premier League situation, with relegation still a real possibility heading towards the final stretch of the campaign.
And many will see the crunch clash against Burnley on Sunday as even more important than Thursday’s win against the Portuguese outfit, which was more nervy than it should have been with the visitors twice hitting the woodwork.
Celebrations were dampened as Chris Wood limped off with a knee injury in just his third game back after a six-month lay off, followed in the second half by Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo.
Ezri Konsa scores Aston Villa's fourth and final goal of the night
**Aston Villa** blew **Bologna** away with a trio of first-half goals as they roared into the semis with a 4-0 victory, winning 7-1 on aggregate.
Villa boss Unai Emery is an expert in this competition, with four titles to his name, and few would bet against him adding a fifth.
Villa brought a healthy 3-1 lead into the home leg of their last-eight clash and any hopes of an Italian revival were quickly snuffed out as the rampant hosts ran in three goals in the first period, starting with a lovely team effort, which was rounded off by Ollie Watkins tapping in his 100th goal for the club.
Emi Buendia put Villa 2-0 ahead on the night just 46 seconds after Morgan Rogers saw a spot-kick saved, but the England international made amends for his penalty miss by putting Villa 3-0 up before the break with his first goal since 7 February.
Ezri Konsa’s second goal of the tie wrapped up a convincing win late on.