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In the early kick-off in the Conference League, Shakhtar Donetsk have drawn 2-2 against AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands and go through 5-2 on aggregate.

That is significant for Crystal Palace.

If the Eagles advance tonight, they will face Shakhtar in the semi-finals on 30 April and 7 May.

Shakhtar are playing their European home games in Krakow, Poland, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports: "We are so, so respectful with them because they showed us their capacity to go for this title and to go a long way like we are expecting. We achieved a good result there but it is not done and how they are playing and performing, we have massive respect. Today, I know it is going to be difficult and we must play extending our game plan like we did in their stadium and today of course here with our great, great atmosphere here with our supporters, we are confident but so, so respectful.

On Emi Martinez starting in goal: "So, so happy with Marco [Bizot], he is a great guy and very good professional. Always ready to play and when he is playing because for some circumstances [Emi] is not available, or even in the last moment like the last match [when Martinez withdrew in the warm-up], Marco is always ready and performing fantastically and of course we are so happy with him."

On controlling his emotions in big moments: "We have our own experiences in Europe. Two years ago, we were doing our debut in Europe in the Conference League and we achieved the semi-final here against Olympiacos and we remind ourselves what we did two years ago, how we lost the semi-final, how we did last year in the Champions League when we lost in the quarter-finals against PSG. Everything we are learning in our process, we are trying to remind ourselves and be very demanding and consistent to achieve things. Very difficult match tonight. This is the competitive way we are building here. We are excited, motivated and we are aware of how we can control our emotions."

On how special it would be to end the season with a trophy: "It is a way to win a trophy and a way to get into the Champions League. It is very difficult to win this trophy. Today is the moment and we must enjoy today. I have won [the Europa League] three times and I know how difficult it is."

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Freiburg have become the first team to clinch their spot in the Europa League semi-finals.

The German side won 3-1 at Celta Vigo to earn a 6-1 aggregate win.

They will play Real Betis or Sporting Braga in the semis. Those sides drew 1-1 in their quarter-final first leg.

Dion Dublin
Former Aston Villa striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think reaching the final is the minimum for Aston Villa, it's what Emery would expect from his side, with all due respect to the other teams in the quarter-finals.

Emery knows this competition so well, he has won it so many times. When it comes to the Europa League he will get it right, and he tends to get it right whatever club he is at.

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Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans says the club have some good "momentum" as they enter the decisive section of the season.

Villa are fourth in the Premier League, seven points secure in the Champions League spots, plus 90 minutes away from the Europa League semi-finals.

"I think we can feel we're in a good moment," Tielemans said in yesterday's pre-match news conference.

"We've got some momentum with playing for the highest places in the Premier League and the quarter-final in the Europa League.

"But we're aware of where we are. We know our qualities and we deserve to be there because we work hard for it. We've got some really good results over the last few months. It's just a good time for us and we want to keep it until the end of the season.

"We're firing, we are all fit and hopefully we can all stay fit. I'm sure if we are then our mentality in our heads is moving in the right direction, which is positive for us."

Conference League

• 2023 winners: West Ham
• 2025 winners: Chelsea

Will Crystal Palace become the third London club in four seasons to be crowned Conference League champions?

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Glad All Over: As a Palace fan, I'm delighted & amazed to be honest. I've waited 50 odd years to witness their first major trophy, swiftly followed by Charity Shield, which us Palace fans count as a trophy. Now we're within touching distance of a European semi-final. Don't care what the others say about the quality of opposition, it's another possible trophy. Dreamland for us. Seen many hard times so revelling in our time in the sun.

It's a little bit different to Selhurst Park.

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Image source, Getty Images

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Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner on facing Fiorentina in Florence: "Like always in Italy, I think it's a very emotional atmosphere and the Fiorentina fans will support their team.

"But there will be 1,400 Palace fans here loud and supporting us, and that's why I'm expecting a great European night.

"Fiorentina have been very successful in Serie A, they are unbeaten in six games now.

Crystal Palace

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Remember when FA Cup winners Crystal Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League over ownership rules last summer?

"An absolute travisty," said one Palace fan at the time.

"This is the day that will be remembered that greed won and common sense lost," added another.

But how are Palace fans feeling now? Would their team have one foot in the Europa League semi-final had they remained in Europe's second-tier competition?

This has been a European adventure to remember - and it's not over yet.

Nottingham Forest have lost three home Europa League matches this season – no English side has ever lost four home games in a major European season.

This will be their first major European quarter-final on home soil since a 5-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup in 1995-96. They’ve lost each of their last three home knockout matches in major European competition including that match, as many defeats as across their prior 21 such matches combined (W14 D4).

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Dion Dublin
Former Aston Villa striker on BBC Radio 5 Live at the City Ground

I think Nottingham Forest are better than what we have seen this season with regards to performances, the individuals are better than what they are showing down there in that dog fight.

They must be doing something right on the odd occasion to get this far in this competition. When the players are all on it, they are a really decent side.

Nottingham Forest are aiming to reach a first European semi-final in over 40 years.

Their last semi-final match in Europe came against Anderlecht in the 1983-84 Uefa Cup.

In terms of the league, it hasn't been smooth sailing for Forest. Could this be the boost that they need?

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Villa boss Unai Emery is bidding to win a fifth Europa League.

He lifted the trophy thrice with Sevilla, in consecutive years from 2014 to 2016, and then bagged a fourth with Villarreal in 2021.

"To play in Europe and to play a quarter-final is a privilege,” he said. "I am sharing it with the players, with the club and with the supporters and enjoying it.

"I like it a lot to play in Europe and I’m so excited about how we are getting the last matches in the Premier League and how we are competing in the Europa League, I’m enjoying it a lot.

"I know tomorrow is a challenge but it’s a match we must be really focused on and respectful of. I am enjoying today, I will be enjoying this afternoon, this evening, I’m going to enjoy tomorrow morning.

"Each moment we are in the process, preparing the games, I am so, so happy. I am trying to share it with the players and the supporters."

Mike Taylor
BBC WM reporter

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Another week passes, and the countdown is now on. Ten games, at most, for Villa to meet their targets for this season, fulfil the dreams of their fans as well as their players and light the path to the club's medium-term ambitions of becoming re-established as a footballing power in England and Europe.

You can gauge exactly how much of a footballing romantic you are by pointing to which of the above you thought of first, but they will all be true if Villa return from Istanbul next month with the Europa League trophy.

For all their achievements in the Premier League this season - and a top-five finish while sustaining a European run to the end would be an achievement without precedent in the club's history - the Europa League has always been the most efficient route to their goals this season.

For the first time in living memory, Villa started a major competition as the clear favourite. Their 3-1 win in Bologna last week ensured that they remain on course to justify that billing.

Read the full column on the BBC Sport Aston Villa page

Stiliyan Petrov
Former Aston Villa midfielder on TNT Sports

What a magnificent evening, I think there is such great energy outside for the fans.

This place will be a fortress again. The fans will give the encouragement and the energy and I think the players will be ready.

Big night for Aston Villa Football Club.

Image source, BBC Sport

Pat Riddell, Fan writer

As it is, football - as Liverpool, and possibly Arsenal, fans will confirm - doesn't always follow logic. And the season we have is the season we have.

Except the opportunity to write our own history, as it was back in August, is still ours to own. Vitor Pereira's steady hand took us closer to a Europa League semi-final last Thursday and Sunday's draw with Aston Villa was a warm-up against our possible opponents should we beat Porto on Thursday.

Pereira is notably the first of our four managers this season to successfully shuffle the squad in a cup game and not be embarrassed.

While hindsight is a wonderful thing, conjecture is also dangerous and each game as it comes is the sensible way to proceed. But if you can't dream in football, what can you do?

Forest's season can still go several ways but the redemption arc is one in which our failings in the Premier League could be redeemed by Europa League glory.

A place in the Champions League and Premier League status retained? The dream remains alive.

Read the full column on the BBC Sport Nottingham Forest page

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood has opened up about his injury recovery, saying it felt like there was "no light at the end of the tunnel" at times.

The New Zealand international has returned following six months out.

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Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood says his full focus is on "performing straight away" after returning from injury.

Vitor Pereira's side drew 1-1 in Portugal last week, with Wood playing his first minutes since October after recovering from knee surgery and he starts tonight at the City Ground.

He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "Ultimately I need to hit the ground running. There's no bedding in process.

"If we were sitting in the middle or the table or not in a European competition maybe I could bed in a bit more and take a bit more time with this injury but it's not about that, it's about performing straight away now.

"We've got some massive games both in Europe and the Premier League for the rest of the season so it's about getting back sharp as soon as possible and getting back firing and scoring goals."