Nottingham Forest are riding a wave of momentum, and legendary European Cup winner Garry Birtles believes manager Vitor Pereira has the team "playing in a way he loves." With an impressive nine-game unbeaten streak, Forest sit five points clear of the relegation zone and carry a slim lead into next week's Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa.

"In the end, they just about shaded it," Birtles told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "Villa started the brightest, but Forest weathered the storm really well. Both defences should be proud of themselves because they were solid and compact. It was just that penalty decision which changed the game."

Birtles praised Forest's gritty, no-frills approach. "It was just a very good all-round performance from Forest—not extravagant, but effective." He highlighted the return of striker Chris Wood as a game-changer. "Chris Wood being back in the team is a huge boost. Playing two up front has confused defenders in the past three or four games because you don't often see two up front any more. The manager deserves great credit for that."

Under Pereira, Forest have found their identity. "Pereira has taken everything on board and has got Forest playing in a way he loves. Nine unbeaten is a hell of a run to be on at the moment." But Birtles cautioned that the real test lies ahead. "Pressure comes on you when you're in these moments, so it's how you handle that. Hopefully Forest can learn from the end of last season and get over the line in these pressure moments in the Premier League and Europe."

Looking ahead to the second leg at Villa Park, Birtles sees the advantage shifting. "Any team playing the first leg of a semi-final at home will take any kind of lead for the second leg because the pressure is now on Villa to get back on the game."