Nottingham Forest win on penalties to reach Europa League quarter-final
Nottingham Forest are through to the last-eight of the competition - Bo Amstrup/Shutterstock So much for Nottingham Forest’s apparent indifference to European football. On a bracing night in Denmark, Forest relished a break from the toil of trying to maintain their Premier League status, delivering a commanding performance in Midtjylland to advance to the last eight of the Europa League. Needing to overcome a 1-0 first leg deficit, Forest’s stand-ins produced a performance of control and composure, defying Midtjylland’s physical style and a rickety pitch.
But after Nicolas Dominguez’s header, and a sumptuous 25-yard strike from captain Ryan Yates, had given the visitors a 2-0 lead on the night, Martin Erlic scrambled Midtjylland level on aggregate. And so penalties would decide the tie. Morgan Gibbs-White, one of the phalanx of Forest stars who did not make the starting XI, tucked away the opening penalty, to the goalkeeper’s right.
That was more than any Midtjylland player was capable of managing in return. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega did not even have to move to keep any of Midtjylland’s three penalties out. Instead, Gue-Sung Cho and Aral Simsi hit the post, before Edward Chilufya slipped and skied his penalty high.
The joy of Forest’s players, and their vocal away supporters alike, attested to what this victory meant. With Sunday’s fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur in mind, Vítor Pereira made nine changes. If his team selection hinted at a lack of ambition, Forest’s players acted otherwise.
In the circumstances, extra time might have been the scenario that Pereira desired least. Yet, for all the understandable focus upon preserving Premier League status, there was glory to be won in Denmark too. For the first time since 1996, Forest qualify for the quarter-finals of a European competition.
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