(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Wed 11 March 2026 17:00, UK

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Aston Villa have been firmly told to take a leaf out of Nottingham Forest’s book ahead of their Europa League Last 16 tie against Lille.

The pair of Premier League sides are both gearing up for upcoming knockout ties in their continental campaigns, with Villa taking on French side Lille, while Forest face Midtjylland.

Unai Emery’s men will have their hearts set on progressing and securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition, and the home leg of their tie could have a telling impact on that.

Aston Villa face Lille away from home on Thursday night, before welcoming the Ligue 1 outfit to Villa Park on 19 March, but there has been plenty of discontent ahead of their home fixture.

Aston Villa told to follow suit after Nottingham Forest reduction

Nottingham Forest fans have been frustrated with their club’s pricing structure for their tie against Midtjylland, with the game understandably not featuring on the 2025-26 season ticket.

The Reds initially priced tickets for adult season ticket holders in the region of £50-£70, depending on the category, but they announced on Wednesday that they have reduced the prices to £15-£30 after a poor uptake in sales.

That decision has been met with gratitude from their supporters, who are pleased to see that their home leg has now become more affordable to attend.

Forest’s move has prompted Villa fans to demand a similar action from their club, with the cheapest adult ticket for their latest Europa League clash currently standing at £45 for a season ticket holder.

Villa fans have taken to X to point out the situation to their club, with several supporters demanding that the hierarchy “take note” of Forest’s decision.

One fan was keen to suggest that the Villa faithful are being viewed as “customers not fans,” while another even went as far as to tag director of football Damian Vidagany in a quote of Forest’s announcement.

However, there were also several Villa supporters who suggested that Forest had only taken the measure due to the lack of early sales, rather than any thought for the fans.

• @AM15_Szn: “The only reason they’ve done it is because the stadium would have been half full if they hadn’t.”
• @_WN_UTV_: “They’ve only done it because the ground is half empty.”
• @dilks87: “They’re only doing it because they’ve hardly sold any tickets.”

Aston Villa’s chances of reaching quarter finals predicted

Villa are overwhelming favourites against Lille in their upcoming tie, with Opta’s supercomputer handing them an 80.6 per cent chance of progressing through to the quarter finals.

The boffins expect that the French side will be no match for Emery’s charges, despite the recent sticky spell that has left them without a win in their last four games.

The Villans will meet either Bologna or Roma if they can find a way past Lille, with Opta expecting the latter to triumph over their Serie A rivals over two legs.

Forest are also seen as likely candidates to progress to the next stage of their European adventure, with Vitor Pereira’s strugglers assessed a 59.16 per cent chance of downing Midtjylland.

The Reds would then face either Porto or Stuttgart in the quarter finals, with a potential collision course with Villa set for the semi-finals.