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.

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 after they dispatched 10-man Porto 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final.

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal of the game to earn a 1-0 second-leg win 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.

For Villa, they blew Bologna away with a trio of first-half goals to roar into the semi-finals with a 4-0 victory, winning 7-1 on aggregate.

Unai Emery’s side cruised into a second European semi-final in three years, and the Villa boss is an expert in this competition with four titles to his name. 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 February 7.

Ezri Konsa’s second goal of the tie wrapped up a convincing win late on.

In the other quarter-finals, Freiburg made history as they swept into the last four of the competition for the first time with a 3-1 win against Celta Vigo.

Julian Schuster’s side already had one foot in their first ever European semi-final after a 3-0 victory in the quarter-final first leg in Germany last week.

They finished the job in Vigo, winning 6-1 on aggregate thanks to Igor Matanovic’s opener and Yuito Suzuki’s double.

In the semi-finals, Freiburg will play Sporting Braga after they produced a fine 4-2 win away to Real Betis. The sides were level 1-1 from the first leg in Portugal.