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69 min: Murillo makes way … or does he?! He limps off … then waits to come back on! Hudson-Odoi isn’t moving freely either. Forest taking some risks with the rest of this game, and indeed the season, Burnley coming to town at the weekend.
67 min: Murillo is really struggling. He limps around for a bit. Then goes down. On comes the physio. Hudson-Odoi is performing a few stretches while grimacing as well. Concerning moments for Forest.
66 min: Hudson-Odoi aims a curler towards the top right. High. Wide. That’s Forest’s 16th attempt on goal tonight, though they’ve only managed four on target.
65 min: Milenković comes on for Ndoye, while Porto replace Moffi with Gül. A slightly strange sub by Forest, given Murillo is limping a bit at the moment. But they’ve gone to three at the back for now.
64 min: Sangare dribbles down the middle. Nobody challenges him, so he keeps going. And going. Then he rides a couple of half-hearted tackles, before finally coming to a halt against Thiago Silva. Porto a bit lax there, and perhaps overly dependant on their 41-year-old Brazilian.
62 min: Williams shoots. Thiago Silva throws the old bones in the way to block. Forest come again, Dominguez flicking cutely down the inside-left to nearly release Gibbs-White … but Diogo Costa comes out to close the angle, and panic Gibbs-White into miscontrolling out for a goal kick. It’s good end-to-end fun, this.
60 min: That episode has shaken the home support a little bit. A shock to realise how thin the margins are against ten men. The Porto fans still very loud. “That’s a great tale from Shrewsbury, thanks Dave!” replies Justin Kavanagh. “As for tonight’s game, I suppose if Mr Bednarek wanted to make a few quid to pay off his forthcoming indiscipline fine, he could volunteer to stand guard for any second-half river balls.”
58 min: … nothing. But Forest can be thankful to still be in the lead. William Gomes absolutely thrashed that volley off the crossbar!
57 min: A quick throw by Porto down the left. Fofana chases after it and curls long. William Gomes meets it with a high kick at the far post. His effort beats Ortega, but batters off the underside of the bar, down, out and away! Then Forest immediately go up the other end, Gibbs-White’s shot deflected wide left. And from that corner …
56 min: The Porto fans are giving it plenty. Such a lovely atmosphere at the City Ground, as the home fans generate a response.
54 min: Hudson-Odoi whistles down the left wing and crosses for Gibbs-White, who wins a header but puts it over the bar, and fouls Moura while he does so. “Like Nottingham, the city of Porto also sits by a storied river, although the Estádio do Dragão isn’t within kicking distance of the Douro,” writes Peter Oh. “It would require a foot like a nuclear traction engine to launch a ball into the water. Ballon Douro?”
52 min: One of the Porto backroom staff is shown yellow for coming to the touchline and telling it as he sees it. Meanwhile on the subject of balls in the river, as touched upon during the break by Justin Kavanagh, here’s Dave Manby: “Shrewsbury Town in its old ground, the Gay Meadow, had Fred Davies who got a free ticket to fish balls out of the Severn in his coracle. When a ball went over the stand you would see a door open in the stand and he’d set off for the ball. His old coracle is on display at the new ground.”
51 min: Aina advances down the right and cuts back for Igor Jesus, who rather scuffs his first-time shot straight at Diogo Costa, who parries. Incidentally, during the break, Tony Woodcock, who won the league, two League Cups and the 1979 European Cup with Forest, was awarded a second European Cup medal for his early work in the 1980 campaign, before he’d left for Cologne. A lovely moment for the Forest legend.
49 min: Williams dances his way into the Porto box down the left, but his shot is blocked. Both teams appear to have been switched to Carpe Diem Mode.
47 min: Porto are on the front foot immediately, and Dominguez clips William Gomes on the edge of the Forest D. A free kick. Gomes takes it himself, and blooters straight into the wall. A statement of intent by Porto, who have clearly come out not intending to die wondering.
Porto get the second half underway … and they’ve made four changes. Jakub Kiwior, Victor Froholdt, Alan Varela and Francisco Moura come on for Gabriel Veiga, Zaidu, Borja Sainz and Alberto Costa. Meanwhile one change for Forest, who replace Omari Hutchinson with Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Half-time postbag. “For a neutral like me, this is the Clough v Mourinho derby, right? Forest will forever be in the shadow of Ol’ Big ‘Ed, likewise Porto and the Special One. Some teams just can’t escape their past, can they? Yeah, I’m looking at you, Arsenal and Dundee Manchester United” – Simon McMahon
“You’d have to think Morgan Gibbs-White is feeling cautiously positive on his decision not to join Spurs this season” – Hugh Collins
“Nice shot of the City Ground and the River Trent! A hundred years ago when I played Sunday league in the local park, we’d give a local one pound (punt) to fish out what he called ‘river balls’. Do Forest (or Fulham) have such an arrangement, I wonder?” – Justin Kavanagh
HALF TIME: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Porto (agg 2-1)
It’s all gone Forest’s way. But the ten men of Porto will be happy to have limited the damage, and as the clock ticks on through the second half, you never know. All very much still in the balance.
45 min +5: Gabriel Veiga sends the free kick in flat and hard, at washing-line height. Alberto Costa rises at the near post and flicks a header on, but the ball sails well wide left. The first sharp intake of breath from the Forest support, right on the stroke of half time. A little glimmer of promise at last for ten-man Porto.
45 min +4: Ndoye clumsily clips Gabriel Veiga, who was going nowhere down the right. A chance for Porto to commit everyone upfield at the free kick. They load the Forest box.
45 min +2: Ndoye sends a delicious outside-of-boot cross in from a tight position on the left. Dominguez, arriving late, meets it six yards out, but eyebrow-flicks a header across goal and wide right. The only thing that ends up in the net is Dominguez himself. Big chance.
45 min: There will be five additional first-half minutes, the VAR check, sending off, injury to Wood, all that.
44 min: The Porto bench empties as Aina hurdles William Gomes, studiously avoiding making contact with foot on head. But Veiga thinks something saucy has gone on, and comes across to shove Aina angrily. Porto want the numbers levelling up, but come off it and come on. The referee calms everything down quickly enough.
43 min: Hutchinson crosses from the right. Another easy claim for Diogo Costa. Then a cutback that is easily picked off. Hutchinson’s radar suddenly on the blink, after a promising start to the match. His boss Vítor Pereira, frustrated, comes to the touchline and issues the player some beneficial advice in the strident style.
41 min: Fofana is forced to change into a new shirt, the last one having been ripped to bits by Ndoye’s grasping hand. Not 100 percent sure how Ndoye wasn’t booked for that; it was as obvious as a tug-back gets.
40 min: Hutchinson, on the right-hand corner of the Porto box, goes for a curler towards the top left. Not enough whip, not enough pace. Easy for Diogo Costa. Then a miserable 60 seconds for the Forest player ends with a booking for a cynical hug on Zaidu.
39 min: Forest push Porto back and probe this way and that. No way through. The hosts well on top, though.
37 min: Another Forest corner leads to some head tennis in the Porto box. Jair Cunha brings some order to events, cutting the ball back for the in-rushing Murillo, who pearls a first-time drive from the edge of the box inches wide right. Not sure Diogo Costa was getting to that had it been on target. It would have been a cute assist and finish.
36 min: Williams is in the process of kicking clear when Alberto Costa arrives and lashes at his ankle. Luckily Williams hadn’t planted his foot, or that could have been nasty. It’s a booking, though, and Alberto Costa will miss Porto’s next European match.
34 min: Hutchinson is causing Porto all sorts of trouble down the right. He teases Moffi and Sainz before delivering a ball to the far stick, earning a corner. Williams sends it long from the left, and Igor Jesus wins a header on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He has to work Diogo Costa, or at the very least head back across goal. But he heads harmlessly wide right and high.
32 min: Ndoye bursts into a little bit of space down the middle and is skittled from behind by Moffi, who takes a booking for the team.
31 min: Porto spend a little bit of time in the Forest half. They don’t achieve much, but it’s baby steps for the visitors at the moment.
29 min: A shot of Wood in the dugout. Ice on the knee. The swelling was visible earlier; hopefully it’s nothing more than bruising. On TNT, Glenn Hoddle, who knows a thing or two about career-bothering knee injuries, suggests internal injury is unlikely, given the fairly calm look on Wood’s face, and the fact he walked off without showing too much discomfort. Here’s to Hoddle being correct, Wood is certainly due some good luck.
27 min: Hutchinson, once again making a nuisance of himself down the right, flashes a shot into the side netting. It’s all Forest.
25 min: Ndoye barges his way down the left and wins a corner. Williams wastes it by looping it straight down Diogo Costa’s throat.
24 min: Forest have enjoyed 61 percent of possession so far. That extremely early Moffi chance apart, absolutely nothing has occurred in the Forest final third. Porto yet to recover from the early double blow.
22 min: Murillo opts to shoot for goal instead, and shanks a comically dreadful effort many yards wide left and into the stand containing the Porto travelling support. Haven’t they suffered enough already?
21 min: More space for Hutchinson out on the right. He teases a couple of Porto defenders, but isn’t able to break into the box. He tugs back for Aina, whose careful cross is claimed by Diogo Costa. But the hosts come again through Hutchinson, down the same wing, and he draws a foul from Gabriel Veiga. Free kick, and a chance to load the box.
19 min: Gibbs-White sends Hutchinson into space down the right. Hutchinson whips a lovely low curling cross through the Porto six-yard box. Ndoye stoops in at the far post but can’t connect. So close to a second; that’d have been a lovely goal. “Having seen Porto perform near flawlessly against Stuttgart, having the air of a team peaking at the right time, they were my pick for winning the Europa League,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Bednarek’s challenge isn’t quite in the same league as a 40-yard own goal, but it’s still considerably less clever than I expected the Dragons to be. Now, a man and a goal down, I suspect they probably won’t make my prediction come true.”
17 min: Igor Jesus’s shift is seconds old when he’s chasing after a long pass down the right. He earns a corner. Williams sends it long. Igor Jesus, not messing around and wasting no time, chests down but can’t get a shot away. Porto clear their lines. They need to clear their heads and quick, or this tie is getting away from them in short order.
16 min: Wood goes down. He’s taken a proper whack to the inside of his knee. He won’t be able to continue. Bednarek owes him an apology. Igor Jesus comes on in Wood’s place.
14 min: During the celebration, Gibbs-White holds up a Forest No8 shirt, a message for Elliot Anderson and his family in this difficult time. A poignant dedication, a team together.
GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Porto (Gibbs-White 12); agg 2-1
Gibbs-White advances down the inside-left channel again. He shoots again, this time towards the bottom left. The ball takes a big nick off Rosario, sending the ball to the right, into the centre of the net, past the wrong-footed Diogo Costa. Forest grabbing their opportunity with both hands here!
11 min: The home fans send their condolences to the Anderson family in the only way they can, by singing Elliot’s song. The Geordie Maradona.
10 min: Forest know the momentum is theirs already, and Gibbs-White advances down the inside-left channel, entering the box and threading a shot-cum-cross towards the bottom right. Wood sticks out a toe in the hope of prodding home, but can’t reach the ball, which dribbles wide right.
9 min: Bednarek makes a small performance of arguing the toss, but his heart’s not really in it. He surely knows he’s bang to rights. Eventually he disappears down the tunnel sadly. A huge early boost for Forest … especially as Wood is fine to continue. He felt that all right, but the pain of impact seems to have subsided.
RED CARD: Bednarek (Porto)
8 min: Bednarek stuck out his leg on the horizontal. High. He missed the ball by a long way. His studs caught the inside of Wood’s knee. That was an awful challenge … and the referee doesn’t take too long to draw a TV screen in the sky before drawing the red card from his pocket. The blood drains from Bednarek’s face. He knows what’s coming. Off he goes!
7 min: Bednarek’s brow furrows. He knows he’s in bother here. And VAR calls the referee over to the screen.
6 min: Wood looks to flick the ball past Bednarek in the centre circle. Bednarek sticks out a leg and high-kicks his studs on the inside of Wood’s knee. Oof. No booking, just a free kick, but that’s a really poor challenge. VAR is going to take a look at a potential red card.
4 min: Sangare releases Gibbs-White down the right. Promising for Forest … until the whistle goes, Sangare having come through the back of Alberto Costa on the touchline. The correct decision, if annoyingly belated from a Forest point of view, everyone all excited for a second.
2 min: It’s an absolutely belting atmosphere, both sets of fans giving it plenty. But Porto nearly quieten the home fans in short order, Moffi latching onto a prod down the inside-right channel and attempting to flick past Ortega. The Forest keeper swipes away. The rebound falls to William Gomes, who blazes over. Yikes.
Nottingham Forest get the ball rolling. They’re defending the Trent End in this first half. The aggregate score is 1-1 after the first leg.
The teams are out! Nottingham Forest in their Garibaldi red, Porto in the blue and white of the Portugal flag (of 1909, it was superseded two years later by the green-red we’re familiar with these days). A magnificent atmosphere at the City Ground. We’ll be off in a minute or two!
Forest coach Vítor Pereira speaks to TNT Sports. “One chance … just today, not tomorrow … today is the game … we have to do everything to show our ambition … show our quality, personality and organisation to be in the next round … in three days we play again in an important game in the league … Porto play with intensity … we must learn from the last game and play on a better level today … my condolence to the [Anderson] family … a very sad situation and we need to respect.”
Our man Will Unwin is currently sunning himself on the rolling verdant verges of the River Trent. Here’s his pre-match scene-setter.
It is currently a calm night on the banks of the Trent, although it will get quite lively come kick-off. There are plenty of Porto fans inside the City Ground, both in the away end and elsewhere in the corporate areas.
The Portuguese side will be disappointed they did not come away with from the first leg after an impressive display but Forest dug in to ensure things are level after 90 minutes. Vitor Pereira has selected a strong team, with centre-back the only area he has selected a backup in the form of Jair Cunha. If the Premier League side do get this done, it will be a historic night for the club and the home supporters will play their part. The bad news for them is Martim Fernandes is not playing, so they will have to do their own dirty work today.
Forest have five players who are one yellow card away from suspension. Of tonight’s starters, Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White are on the tightrope; Morato, Igor Jesus and Ryan Yates will also need to watch themselves should they come on.
Six members of the Porto starting line-up are a booking away from missing out on the first leg of the semi should their team make it. Jan Bednarek, William Gomes, Gabriel Veiga, Zaidu, Pablo Rosario and Alberto Costa are all on Behaviour Watch, as is Dominik Prpić should he see action tonight.
Nottingham Forest make five changes from last week’s starting XI. Neco Williams, Ibrahim Sangaré, Omari Hutchinson, Jair Cunha and Ola Aina come in for Morato, Ryan Yates, James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa and Zach Abbott. Elliott Anderson misses the game after the passing of his mother; he had been suspended for last week’s first leg.
Porto make one change from last week. Alberto Costa replaces the injured Martim Fernandes, scorer of that unfortunate long-range own goal in the first leg. Followers of the Premier League will spot some old friends in the Porto squad: Thiago Silva won the Champions League and Club World Cup with Chelsea back in 2021, Jan Bednarek spent eight years at Southampton between 2017 and 2025, and Jakub Kiwior is currently on loan from Arsenal.
The teams
Nottingham Forest: Ortega, Cunha, Murillo, Williams, Aina, Gibbs-White, Sangare, Dominguez, Ndoye, Hutchinson, Wood.
Subs: Sels, Willows, Morato, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus, Lucca, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Abbott, Sinclair.
Porto: Diogo Costa, Alberto Costa, Thiago Silva, Bednarek, Zaidu, Fofana, Rosario, Veiga, Gomes, Moffi, Sainz.
Subs: Ramos, Joao Costa, Kiwior, Froholdt, Pepe, Prpic, Varela, Gui, Tiago Silva, Bras, Moura, Mora.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).
Preamble
Six months ago this happened …
… which has got to augur well for Nottingham Forest (even if it didn’t serve as much of a promising harbinger for poor old Sean Dyche). Throw in the fact that Porto have played 24 competitive matches in England and have yet to win one (D3 L21) and all signs point to YES for Vítor Pereira and his charges. The winner of this tie gets to play the victor of Aston Villa and Bologna, and the prospect of an ATVLand rammy for a place in the final is almost too much excitement for a brain to contain. So come on Forest, giddy up Villa, let’s make this happen. Kick-off is at 8pm BST, with the scores level at 1-1 after the fiasco-tinged first leg. It’s on!
