Football Tracker: Semi-finals getting underway in Europa and Conference Leagues

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is eyeing a fifth Europa League title
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is eyeing a fifth Europa League titleAction Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

The UEFA Europa League and Conference League semi-finals get going this evening with four fascinating first legs to enjoy on a packed night of action. This is your one-stop shop to follow all the fixtures!

Thursday's highlights:

• Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa in a blockbuster all-Premier League semi-final in the Europa League's standout fixture this evening from 21:00 CET

• In the other Europa League semi-final first leg at the same time, Portugal's Braga are taking on Bundesliga side Freiburg, a club that has never won a major trophy

• In the Conference League, Rayo Vallecano are hosting Strasbourg, while Crystal Palace are away to Shakhtar, with both those semi-final first legs also kicking off at 21:00 CET

Europa League semi-finals:

Braga vs Freiburg - 21:00 CET

Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa - 21:00 CET

Conference League semi-finals:

Rayo Vallecano vs Strasbourg - 21:00 CET

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace - 21:00 CET

Key updates to keep you informed:

17:30 CET - Hello, and welcome to our coverage of Thursday's semi-final first legs across the Europa League and Conference League! It's been a long and winding road in both competitions this season until now, but here we are, with just four teams standing in each tournament.

For all eight sides in action, just two matches separate them from appearing in a major European final, and winning either tournament would also secure European football next season. There simply couldn't be more at stake across this evening and next Thursday, when the second legs take place.

In the Europa League, Premier League foes Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are going head-to-head in one semi-final, with Braga taking on Freiburg in the other.

Over in the Conference League, Crystal Palace and Shakhtar Donetsk meet on one side of the semis, with Rayo Vallecano tackling Strasbourg on the other side. 

It's impossible to call any of those matchups, so may the best teams progress!