Robin Hood vs the Brummie juggernaut

How Nottingham Forest managed to find their way into a Europa League fixture while sitting 16th in the table is a mystery that would baffle even the most seasoned detectives. It is a mathematical anomaly that suggests the universe has a very peculiar sense of humor. The City Ground will be rocking, mostly because the fans are terrified that if they stop making noise, the reality of their league position might actually sink in.

Aston Villa arrive with the swagger of a team that knows they’re better than this competition, yet they’re led by Unai Emery, a man who treats Thursday nights with the kind of REVERENCE usually reserved for religious holidays. Villa are 5th for a reason: they play football that is actually pleasant to watch, a concept that remains somewhat foreign to the more industrial sections of Nottingham.

Forest’s strategy is likely to involve eleven men behind the ball and a lot of hopeful prayers directed at Morgan Gibbs-White. Nuno Espirito Santo has turned the team into a stubborn, defensive block that is about as much fun to play against as a recurring toothache. They will sit deep, wait for a mistake, and hope Anthony Elanga can outrun a Ferrari.

Villa, however, have Ollie Watkins. The man is currently playing with the clinical efficiency of a high-end assassin. While Forest’s defense occasionally looks like they’re trying to assemble flat-pack furniture without the instructions, Villa’s midfield operates with the fluidity of a well-oiled machine. Douglas Luiz and John McGinn will likely spend the evening dictating the tempo while Forest players chase shadows.

It will be gritty, it will be loud, and it will almost certainly end with Villa showing exactly why there is a 19-point gap between these two sides. Forest might have the history, but Villa have the actual quality.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Aston Villa