There was a sheepish look on Lucas Digne. �s face and for the Portuguese referee, João Pinheiro, it was a case of reviewing whether the ball was out...
There was a sheepish look on Lucas Digne. �s face and for the Portuguese referee, João Pinheiro, it was a case of reviewing whether the ball was out of play and not if the Aston Villa defender had handled inside the box. Even Digne would not dispute that bit. The Frenchman naively raised both hands, presuming the ball would bounce out of play, but Omari Hutchinson kept the phase alive and Nottingham Forest were presented with a chance to strike the first blow in this Europa League semi final. Chris Wood made no mistake from 12 yards, his penalty flawless. Unai Emery tried to gesture for calm as Forest. �s supporters went berserk and their players slowly moseyed back towards their half. For so long, it seemed Emiliano Martínez would be Villa. �s hero, his improbable save to prevent Igor Jesus from scoring a first half opener rivalling his stop to deny Nicolás Domínguez here last season, which earned him the Premier League. �s save of the season accolade. The lion. �s share of the credit, however, goes to Wood, the New Zealand international who showed the kind of clinical finishing that Super Eagles strikers would do well to emulate. In the scheme of things, this narrow 1. 0 advantage gives Forest a formidable foothold ahead of the second leg at Villa Park. At the end of the day, the powers that be at the Europa League will be pleased with the quality on display, even if Villa will feel aggrieved at Digne. �s moment of madness. Back in Lagos, at viewing centers in Surulere and along the Lekki axis, fans erupted as Wood. �s penalty hit the net, with many shouting the name of Victor Osimhen in admiration of the striker. �s composure. Some argued that if Osimhen had been in Wood. �s boots, the Nigerian international would have powered the ball even harder. Others said Martínez, the World Cup winning goalkeeper, was simply lucky not to have faced a Super Eagles talisman. The debate echoed through the halls, with everyone agreeing that Forest have given a good account of themselves and now hold the edge in this tightly contested semi final.
