This is, perhaps, Nottingham Forest’s biggest game since they were promoted back to the Premier League in 2022. The welcoming of Porto to the City Ground will have ramifications that could be felt for years to come.
Win and Forest are in their first European semi-final since 1984, and the season looks a whole lot brighter. Lose, and the campaign appears bleak, with relegation casting an ominous shadow over the club, as they sit just three points above Tottenham Hotspur in 18th.
Last Thursday’s outing (April 10) at the Estádio do Dragão was an odd one. In the opening 10 minutes, the Tricky Trees delivered one of their worst performances of the season, which, in a season that has seen four managers and 19 losses in all competitions, is saying something. They could not settle, and were cut open at will, and it was only thanks to the Portuguese giants’ wastefulness in front of goal that they were only one behind.
They were gifted a goal when Martim Fernandes’ moment of madness, attempting a pass back from nearly 50 yards to a goalkeeper who simply was not there, let them back into the game, and yes, at times, they rode their luck, but on the whole, they were much improved.
The job, last week, would almost certainly have been to go to Portugal, stay in the game, get Porto back to the East Midlands, and throw them into the blazing furnace of 30,000 Forest fans baying for their club to reach the semis. So, in that regard, it was mission accomplished.
The game is also laced with emotion for Forest’s head coach Vítor Pereira. The 57-year-old spent a grand total of five years across several different roles at Porto, winning two league titles in his only two years as head coach.
He was greeted warmly last week by the home supporters, and no doubt the away contingent will pay their respects to their former manager, too, but he will have a one-track mindset for this game, a Forest win, and despite his relatively short time in charge, he would enter club legend.
It should be acknowledged that Porto are having a season that not many in their history can rival. 29 games into their Liga Portugal campaign, they have lost just one game, only conceded 14 goals, and are clear at the top of the division by five points.
That, in large part, is thanks to Francesco Farioli, who came in last summer and has completely revitalised a club that had lost its way in recent years. The 37-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the game, and one who certainly has a big future ahead of him.
That future could very quickly turn into his present should he and his side overcome Forest and get to the semi-finals, as getting the famous old club to the latter stages of European competition will only bolster his CV.
It is a game that will define both sides’ season. If Forest win, it helps discard the doom-and-gloom of the domestic campaign; if Porto win, it takes this team one step closer to cementing themselves in club folklore, as they still have an outside chance of completing a historic treble.
Team News
Nottingham Forest
From a Forest perspective, there are no real fresh injury concerns. Jair Cunha and Nicolò Savona are both still out for this one, with the latter not expected back until next season.
The main talking point going into this game from a team selection point of view will be what side Vítor Pereira selects. While that may sound trivial, it is a real talking point, as the head coach has opted for, not quite second-string teams, but not far from them, as the club have put an emphasis on Premier League survival.
But as Forest get closer and closer to a European final, the temptation to opt for a full-strength XI will be overwhelming for Pereira.
Porto
The only new injury issue for the Portuguese league leaders is that of Martim Fernandes. The 20-year-old, just minutes after his disastrous own goal in the first leg, was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Dan Ndoye and had to be taken off. He will almost certainly miss this one.
Other than that, it’s the injuries the club have had for some time. Luuk De Jong and Samuel Aghehowa are both still out, and while Nehuén Pérez edges closer to a return after a long time on the sideline, he won’t be in contention for this game.
Likely line-ups
Nottingham Forest
Ortega; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Anderson, Sangare, Anderson; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Wood
Porto
Costa; Sanusi, Silva, Bednarek, Costa; Veiga, Rosario, Fofana; Sainz, Gül, Gomes
Key players
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
This season in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have managed only a rather measly 32 goals. Last season, Chris Wood alone scored 20.
His near six-month absence has been painful for the Tricky Trees, and a huge reason why they find themselves in the position they are domestically.
He made his long-awaited return last week in the first leg against Porto, and while he did not mark his return with a tangible contribution, he looked like a man eager to play well and overjoyed to be back out on the grass.
The New Zealander only played 45 minutes in Portugal and a further 25 against Aston Villa, with Pereira wanting to manage his striker’s minutes. But in a game as big as this, that may very well change, with the club desperate to achieve something great in Europe.
It is not just goals that the 34-year-old brings. His work rate is an underrated facet of his game, with the towering forward always working just as hard off the ball as he does on it. Additionally, his ability to bring others into the game by holding the ball up and giving the wingers time to break into the final third is unparalleled.
While his numbers are still roughly on par with last season, it has to be acknowledged that Callum Hudson-Odoi’s performance levels have dipped this campaign. The former Chelsea man will be delighted to have Wood back in the fold, as the Kiwi brings the best out of him.
It could be a very big night at the City Ground for a multitude of reasons this Thursday (April 17), not least because it could be the night that Wood formally remerges after a tumultuous season sidelined.
Porto – William Gomes
One viewing of Brazilian William Gomes should be more than enough to convince any viewer that he has an enormous future ahead of him.
Despite being at Porto for a few years, this is the 20-year-old’s first season playing consistently in the first team, and has impressed just about everyone. The young winger’s ability to move at pace with the ball at his feet, while simultaneously beating his opposite number, is absolutely outrageous.
Even at his tender age, he has already developed a trademark goal: driving down the right-hand side, standing the defender up, cutting inside onto his left foot, before letting fly from distance. One of those moves where the full back will be well aware of what is about to happen, but are powerless to stop it; he is that good.
Gomes is on a supreme run of form at the moment, with four goals in his last five games, including one against Forest last week, and is in the process of announcing himself to the footballing world. A good performance at the City Ground in a high-profile European game would be massive in his fledgling career.
Match details
Where is the game being played?
Nottingham Forest’s home, the City Ground, will be the venue for this one.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 17 April.
How can I watch?
The game will be available on TNT Sports for United Kingdom viewers.