Aston Villa vs Notts Forest talkSPORT betting tips – Best football bets and expert advice

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest meet for the second leg of an all-Premier League Europa League semi-final contest and the tie is finely poised.

Forest take a 1-0 lead to Villa Park on Thursday night after a narrow City Ground success last week, but a packed home crowd will hope to turn the last-four clash in Villa’s favour.

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Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest betting tips and selections 

• Nottingham Forest to qualify @ 7/10 
• Under 2.5 goals @ 10/11 

Forest can cut rivals down to size

Nottingham Forest were the better side when beating Aston Villa 1-0 at the City Ground last Thursday and the Tricky Trees can get the result they need to reach the final at Villa Park.

Vitor Pereira’s men allowed Villa only four shots on target while putting up an expected-goals figure of 1.56 to the visitors 0.79.

Forest have been in a relegation scrap for much of the campaign, but the Tricky Trees have won five games on the bounce and are unbeaten in their last 10 matches.

Pereira fielded a second-string side against Chelsea on Monday, but that was no barrier to Forest, who won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Just as Forest have found their best form, Villa have gone off the boil.

The Villans were awful when hitting only one shot on target and creating an expected-goals figure of only 0.32 in a 2-1 loss to struggling Tottenham at the weekend.

Unai Emery rotated his side for the Premier League clash with Spurs, but it followed last week’s loss to Forest and defeat to Fulham.

Of course, better can be expected from Villa on home soil on Thursday night, but Forest have an advantage, and with a draw enough to see the Reds through, Pereira’s men could be tough to break down.

At 7/10, Forest look an excellent bet to qualify for the Europa League final.

Goals at a premium in last-four showdown 

Nottingham Forest have conceded only six goals in their last 11 games and the turnaround at the City Ground this season has largely been built from the back.

The Tricky Trees faced Aston Villa twice last month, one in the Premier League and the other a Europa League contest, and Vitor Pereira’s men conceded only one goal.

The Reds allowed Villa just nine shots on target in those two matches and Forest have the formula to keep the Villans at bay.

Unai Emery’s men are a dangerous attacking unit when given space to operate in behind defences and on the counter-attack, but Forest have the lead in this tie and there is no need to allow the Villans the room they crave.

The Tricky Trees are a defensively robust unit and under 2.5 goals looks a play at Villa Park.

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