Tomorrow’s clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest may look like just 7th vs 16th in the Championship, but it is in fact a historic game.
Gareth Barry scored the last time Aston Villa met Nottingham Forest
With Manchester United facing Manchester City and Celtic facing Rangers this week, unsurprisingly the major focus of the medias attention has been on those two fixtures.
However, it is England’s second tier and Villa Park which will play host to a landmark game in the history of European football.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest will mark the first time in the history of European football that two previous European champions have met outside the top flight.
Aston Villa have had a poor start to the season
Only 22 teams have ever been crowned European champions, and the Championship duo are two of them, whilst the likes of Atletico Madrid, Roma and Arsenal have never managed such a feat.
Nottingham Forest won the European Cup twice, in 1979 and 1980. Only 8 teams have won the competition more times than Forest, they are Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Liverpool, Ajax, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
Brian Clough orchestrated Nottingham Forest’s double European Cup triumphs
Forest’s double European success under Brian Clough means they have won the same number of European titles as Juventus, and it makes them the only team to have been champions of Europe more times than they have been domestic champions.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, won the competition on just one occasion, over a decade later, with their success coming in 1982.
Villa defeated Bavarian giants Bayern Munich to clinch the European crown at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium in front of 46,000 spectators.
Aston Villa’s Gary Shaw, Tony Morley and Peter Withe celebrate winning the European Cup in 1982
It is a rather unwanted yet interesting piece of trivia for Villa and Forest supporters, both of whom would naturally rather be facing one and another in the Premier League.
Although both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have suffered significant falls from grace since their European successes, they have had rather contrasting years since.
Aston Villa have spent just a single full season outside the top flight since their 1982 European title, with this 2016/17 season being only their second.
Aston Villa have had some good times since their European title
Villa have played European football in 14 seasons since 1982, finished as league runners-up twice, won two League Cup’s and reached two FA Cup finals, before a horrific campaign last season.
Nottingham Forest on the other hand have been far more deprived of success, currently in their 18th season outside the Premier League, recently even spending three seasons in the third tier.
Nottingham Forest have had very little success in recent years
Looking ahead to this weekends matchup and Roberto Di Matteo is already in desperate need of a win, having won just one game all season against struggling Rotherham.
Forest have been inconsistent in the early stages of the season, with 3 wins and 2 defeats, but one thing their games haven’t lacked is goals.
There have been 22 goals scored in games involving Nottingham Forest this season, the most of any team in the Championship, and their goals for and against columns are currently equal on 11.
Real Madrid are the current European champions
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest haven’t played each other since April 1999, when goals from Mark Draper and Gareth Barry confirmed Forest’s relegation from the Premier League.
Will Forest get revenge? Tell us your predictions for the historic weekend fixture below…
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