Vitor Pereira must make ruthless Stefan Ortega call for Europa League second leg, despite latest Nottingham Forest evidence
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(Credit: Imago) Fri 1 May 2026 11:00, UK Vitor Pereira must put fairness to one side when it comes to selecting his starting goalkeeper for the second leg of Nottingham Forest’s Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa.The Reds are heading into next week’s clash at Villa Park with a crucial one-goal deficit, after Chris Wood’s second-half penalty saw them emerge victorious from a nervy opening encounter at the City Ground. Forest’s victory over Villa in the opening leg has piled the pressure on their opponents heading into the second meeting, and that could see Pereira’s men face a barrage away from home next week. ⚽ Nottingham Forest Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Nottingham Forest fixture.
VISIT THE FOREST MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Vitor Pereira must play his most experienced goalkeeper vs Aston VillaForest have a trip to Stamford Bridge to contend with in the Premier League on Monday, but attention will surely have already turned towards their all-important trip to Villa Park next Thursday. They are now within touching distance of a major European final, and this is the time for Pereira to earn his coin with some ruthless selection decisions.StatsOrtegaSelsApps326Clean Sheets17Save Percentage66.7%70.3%Saves per 902.673.04Goals Prevented1.01-0.48Goals Conceded per 901.331.29Ortega’s 2025-26 Premier League stats compared to Sels, as per Fotmob.Ortega has guided his team through the knockout rounds of the Europa League since he joined from Manchester City in January, and has never looked like letting his teammates down at any stage of the journey.
With that in mind, the brave call could be the right one for Pereira in this instance, especially since his team could face an onslaught from a Villa side that have nothing to lose next week. It would undoubtedly be harsh on Ortega after the way that he has performed, but Pereira would surely rather deal with that than the potential regret if his team were knocked out.