Aston Villa routs Bologna to set up all-English Europa League semifinal against Nottingham Forest

Ollie Watkins scored again as Aston Villa knocked out Bologna out of the Europa League in a 4-0 rout Thursday to set up an all-English semifinal against Nottingham Forest.

Unai Emery's team reached its second European semifinal in three seasons with a 7-1 aggregate victory.

Watkins had netted twice in last week's 3-1 win in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Italy, and the striker set the pace at Villa Park.

He tapped in a low cross from the left provided by Morgan Rogers for a 1-0 lead after 16 minutes for his 100th goal for Villa.

Rogers had a golden opportunity to increase the lead but Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia saved his penalty kick.

Only a minute later, though, Villa doubled its lead when Emiliano Buendía scored from a tight angle.

Rogers made it 3-0 with another angled shot in the 39th, and Ezri Konsa finished the scoring seconds before the final whistle.

Villa reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season and is on course to secure a spot in the lucrative top-tier competition next campaign while sitting fourth in the Premier League.

Forest made the semifinals by beating 10-man Porto 1-0 in what's been a successful return to European competition after a 30-year absence. It advanced 2-1 on aggregate after last week's draw in Portugal.

Morgan Gibbs-White put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute with a deflected effort from outside the box after Porto defender Jan Bednarek was sent off for fouling Chris Wood, who then had to be substituted with a knee injury.

Wood is a key striker for relegation-threatened Nottingham — and New Zealand's World Cup plans — and only recently returned from a long-term knee injury.

Porto has never beaten a Premier League club in England in 24 attempts.

The last time Nottingham reached a European semifinal was in 1984 in the UEFA Cup.

Freiburg marched into the semifinals by beating Celta Vigo 3-1.

The Bundesliga team reached the last four in a European competition for the first time on a 6-1 aggregate score after last week's 3-0 victory in the first leg of the quarterfinal.

Freiburg has scored 11 goals in its last three games in the second-tier competition.

Igor Matanović put Freiburg 1-0 up with a stunning left-footed volley from outside the area. Yuito Suzuki doubled the advantage with a deflected shot late in the first half and then beat goalkeeper Ionut Radu after interval.

Williot Swedberg’s consolation goal came in stoppage time for the Spanish hosts.

Freiburg’s next opponent will be Braga, which came from two goals down to win 4-2 at Real Betis after those teams were tied 1-1 from the first leg.

Crystal Palace clinched a last-four spot in the third-tier Conference League despite a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Florence.

Palace advanced 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-0 home win in the first leg to meet Ukraine’s Shakhtar, which advanced past AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

Strasbourg and Rayo Vallecano also advanced.

Italy’s soccer crisis only worsened with European exits for Bologna and Fiorentina.

As a result, Italy doesn’t have any club in a European semifinal for the first time in seven years.

That came after after Atalanta — the only Italian club to reach the Champions League round of 16 — was eliminated in a whopping 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Porto's Jan Bednarek, center, is shown a red card and sent off by referee Danny Makkelie during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Porto in Nottingham, England, Thursday April 16, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's Emi Buendia celebrates scoring their side's second goal during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Bologna, in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, right, celebrates after scores his side's third goal during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Bologna, in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers scores his side's third goal during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Bologna, in Birmingham, England, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Shakhtar's Pedrinho in action in front of AZ Alkmaar's Weslley Patati during the Conference League second-leg quarterfinal soccer match between AZ Alkmaar and Shakhtar Donetsk in Alkmaar, Netherlands, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

Freiburg's goalkeeper Noah Atubolu celebrates after saving during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Celta Vigo and Freiburg in Vigo, Spain, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Gunfire erupted Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims.

No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said, and officials urged people who were at the festival to come forward with any photos or videos on their phones for possible leads.

The shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and home tours.

Heffernan said it appeared that at least two people fired weapons and they were “probably shooting at each other.”

Two of the victims were in critical condition, Heffernan added. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 61, with most of them in their early 20s.

“I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence.”

Multiple videos posted to social media showed people running amid the sound of gunshots and emergency officials tending to others who appeared wounded.

Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said it was difficult to get to the hospital due to closed roads and traffic from people leaving the festival, but emergency responders were able to transport all patients from the scene within an hour.

Kevin Berry was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard a handful of gunshots ring out.

“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.

When Berry looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet (15 meters) away from him. Officers who were already on site for the festival responded immediately.

Berry, who has medical training and served in the Navy, walked around looking for anyone who might need help and saw at least five people with gunshot wounds.

“The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he said.

The Old West End Festival is a two-day celebration in Toledo’s historic district that includes live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping. Berry described it as the “kick-off to Toledo’s summer festival season.”

George Kral, safety director for the city, said officials were discussing with organizers whether it would continue through the weekend.

“This is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo,” he said, “and it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it.”

Police investigate where multiple people were shot at a community festival at Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum is shown where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Police stand near where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Police officers work at the scene of a shooting near a festival in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, June 6, 2026. (WTVG via AP)

Police officers work at the scene of a shooting near a festival in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, June 6, 2026. (WTVG via AP)