Nottingham Forest dug in for a 1-1 draw at Porto in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final after a bizarre long-range own goal leveled the tie. Porto had taken the lead early when William Gomes finished at the far post following an energetic opening at the Dragao, but the advantage lasted barely two minutes. Midway inside his own half, Porto defender Martim Fernandes miskicked a back pass to goalkeeper Diogo Costa, sending the ball past the stranded keeper and into his own net to make it 1-1.
Managerial and selection decisions shaped the contest. Forest made nine changes from their 3-0 win at Spurs, giving Chris Wood his first start after a nine-month absence. Dilane Bakwa, Dan Ndoye, Morato, Zach Abbott, James McAtee, Stefan Ortega and Ryan Yates also started as the visitors switched to a three-at-the-back formation with an eye on a crucial Premier League game against Aston Villa on Sunday.
After the early drama Porto largely controlled possession and territory, but Forest defended resolutely and limited clear-cut chances. The best openings for the hosts came late: Ortega produced a strong save to deny Gomes with around 20 minutes left, and substitute Victor Froholdt nearly curled a Pepe-provided pass into the far corner in the closing stages.
Forest thought they had snatched a winner when Igor Jesus scored, but VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out for a foul on Costa midway through the second half. Despite that disappointment, Forest held on in their first European quarter-final tie since losing to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup three decades ago, and they return to the City Ground next Thursday in a good position to finish the job and potentially set up an all-English semi-final with Aston Villa.
Forest head coach Vitor Pereira described the result as a positive, stressing the need to rotate while competing on two fronts. He said the players who started had done well, that the tie remained open to be decided at home, and that early substitutions had been influenced by the upcoming league match, where securing points is a priority.
Team news:
– Nine changes to the side that beat Spurs 3-0
– Chris Wood made his first start since October after a long layoff
– Dilane Bakwa, Dan Ndoye, Morato, Zach Abbott, James McAtee, Stefan Ortega and Ryan Yates also started
What’s next:
– Nottingham Forest fixtures
– Europa League fixtures