In their first European quarter-final for 30 years, nine changes suggested that Nottingham Forest had other priorities. Yet they left the Estádio do Dragão with a creditable 1-1 draw against FC Porto, and now just four matches away from Champions League qualification.
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During the early skirmishes of this Europa League tie in Portugal, Vítor Pereira could scarcely have imagined such a result. While his understudies had performed sterlingly to defeat FC Midtjylland in the last 16, Porto immediately asserted their extra class.
Brazilian William Gomes tapped in at the back post in the 11th minute, after Gabri Veiga’s smooth pass across goal from the left-hand side. Forest were fortunate to be only 1-0 down: 40 seconds into the game, Terem Moffi had a one-on-one but shot straight at Stefan Ortega.
Yet, just as Forest threatened to be overwhelmed, they benefited from an act of astonishing hometown hospitality. Two minutes after Porto took the lead, right-back Martim Fernandes was 45 yards away from his own goal, under scant pressure.
Now, Fernandes attempted a routine back pass: the sort of action that any professional defender manages thousands of times in their career without alarm. Yet this time – fatally – was different. Fernandes overhit his pass. By the time that goalkeeper Diogo Costa realised, the ball thudded into Porto’s net, silencing their supporters.
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Fernandes’s moment of horror was the sort that would once have been a staple of Christmas bloopers videos, almost rivalling Lee Dixon’s infamous lobbed own goal at Highbury in 1991, the gold standard of the genre. There was no chance for Fernandes to make amends: two minutes later, he was caught by Dan Ndoye as he fell and had to be substituted.
The own goal transformed the complexion of the match. Forest had been exposed down their flanks repeatedly, with wing-backs Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa offering the back three too little protection. But Pereira swiftly reorganised to make his team more compact. Substitutes Nikola Milenković and Neco Williams then offered greater solidity when they arrived in the second half.
Porto have won every home game in Europe so far this season. Yet, after their torrid start, Forest were the better side in the second half, slowing the tempo.
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“We’ll take it,” said Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates. “Back to the City Ground, everything to play for. It’s going to be a good game.
“I felt it was a really tactical game, they had spells on the ball, we had to be disciplined, defensively organised.”
Just as in Denmark three weeks ago, Pereira’s tinkering was vindicated. Now, he can unleash a full-strength team at home against Aston Villa on Sunday, hoping to bring Forest closer to securing their Premier League berth for 2026-27. Pereira’s satisfaction will have been heightened by Chris Wood looking accomplished on his return to the side: Wood played the first 45 minutes, in his first game since October. His replacement, Igor Jesus, the top scorer in this season’s Europa League, then had a goal disallowed.
Next season, Forest fans might yet have much more than top-flight status to savour. When Porto return to the City Ground – where they lost 2-0 in the group stages – they will surely encounter a strengthened Forest side. Should Forest triumph in the second leg, they could then set up an all-English Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa, with the winners then one game away from the Champions League.
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