Ola Aina has called on supporters of Nottingham Forest to create a fierce atmosphere when they host Aston Villa in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.
The Reds welcome their Premier League rivals to the City Ground knowing a strong result on home soil could prove decisive before the return leg. Under head coach Vítor Pereira, Forest are chasing a place in the final in Istanbul and a chance to end a long wait for continental silverware.
Forest’s European pedigree remains strong. The club famously won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, while Villa lifted the trophy in 1982. The upcoming tie pits two historic English sides against each other in what promises to be an intense game.
Aina believes the occasion demands a top-level performance and says the home crowd can make a vital difference.
“Two historic clubs in their own rights in Europe, two competitive teams. It’s going to be a cracker and a tough game for both sides, but one that we will all relish,” Aina told the club’s official website.
“We need to be on top form and we’ll need the fans behind us, and hopefully we can get the result that we want.
“It’s undeniable that we have fantastic players here and we’re able to match most teams, if not every team that we come up against. That’s the confidence I have in my teammates and in what we’re doing.
“I feel like we can go into any game and give a good account of ourselves and definitely do things to win games. We’ve got good wingers, good midfielders, good defenders and good forwards.
“We have the formula; just on the day we need that luck.
“I feel like we’ll get a different Aston Villa than we played a few weeks ago, but the goal is the same; we’ve got to go out there to win a game of football. We’re just going to give our best and hopefully, when the final whistle goes, it’s a fantastic result for us.”
Facing a side managed by Unai Emery, Forest expect a stern test. Yet Aina insists the supporters can help shift the balance.
“They’ll help us a lot, we need them to crank it up for us and we need to hear them throughout the whole game because they do drive us forward a lot,” added Aina.
“They should get the volume up in the City Ground. It’s a semi-final of a European competition, so we might as well have fun while we’re here, which is what we’re all looking forward to.”
