You only had to look at the faces of the Nottingham Forest supporters inside the City Ground at full-time to understand what a first European semi-final in 42 years meant.
There had been suggestions that the Europa League was becoming an unwelcome distraction for a side battling for Premier League survival.
But against Porto, the Midlands outfit proved they are more than capable of balancing both competitions.
After a season of turmoil, Forest are peaking at the right time. They are now just 180 minutes away from a first European final since 1980, with Premier League rivals and the competition's favourites Villa standing in their way.
Victory was underpinned by an impressive performance from captain Morgan Gibbs-White.
The midfielder has become central to Forest's resurgence and will be key in the closing weeks of the campaign.
But injuries to Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo could yet prove a significant concern on what was otherwise a memorable night.
With their European dream still intact, attention turns back to the Premier League, where survival remains the priority.
Forest will draw belief from this historic run to the final four and their supporters will hope there are still a few chapters left to write.
