On the evening when Chris Wood made his long-awaited return after a six-month absence, a bizarre own goal from Porto’s Martim Fernandes allowed Nottingham Forest to secure a draw, raising hopes for their progression to the Europa League semi-finals.
The New Zealand forward was substituted at halftime as coach Vitor Pereira focused on the bigger picture, with a crucial home match against Aston Villa looming on Sunday. This match marks the beginning of a challenging stretch of seven games for Forest as they strive to maintain their Premier League status. Pereira, back in this role after his successful tenure at Porto, is adeptly managing these competing priorities.
Should Forest win the upcoming second leg at the City Ground next Thursday, they could potentially face Villa in Europe, paving the way for their first continental semi-final appearance since 1984. Forest’s ambitions for European success this season were initially set by owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has been eyeing silverware since the start of the campaign. The team had previously triumphed over Porto at home in October during Sean Dyche’s debut match.
With Pereira now at the helm, there is a growing sense of momentum, despite making nine changes to the squad and delivering a somewhat disjointed performance. “I am satisfied with the result,” Pereira commented. “We will see what we can achieve next week.”
Traveling to northern Portugal, Forest found renewed strength in Wood’s presence in the squad. He had joined the team for their recent 3-0 victory against Tottenham but was primarily focused on contributing on the field in this match.
Pereira chose to start Wood, who played for 48 minutes in his return after a knee operation that sidelined him for 34 matches and saw the club change managers twice. During his first half, Wood had only 11 touches, with a single attempt occurring in the opponent’s penalty area. His inclusion on the team sheet was encouraging, but his performance reflected the team’s overall lack of sharpness.
In other Europa League action, Freiburg edged closer to the semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo. Vincenzo Grifo opened the scoring after 10 minutes, followed by Jan-Niklas Beste doubling the lead in the 32nd minute. Mathias Ginter added a third for Freiburg, leaving Celta with a daunting challenge ahead. The winner of this tie will face either Real Betis or Braga, who played to a 1-1 draw in their first leg.
In the Conference League, Shakhtar Donetsk moved closer to a semi-final clash with Crystal Palace after defeating AZ Alkmaar 3-0. Playing in Krakow, Shakhtar scored the first goal in the 72nd minute through Pedrinho, followed by two late goals from Alisson.
Meanwhile, Mainz secured a 2-0 win against Gary O’Neil’s Strasbourg, with goals from Kaishu Sano and Stefan Posch in the opening 20 minutes. Rayo Vallecano also enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 victory at home against AEK Athens, with Ilias Akhomach scoring early in the match.
Forest’s start to the match was shaky, as William Gomes capitalized on Gabriel Veiga’s precise diagonal pass to score in the 11th minute. Terem Moffi could not connect with the ball, but Gomes was perfectly positioned to finish at the back post.
Despite Porto’s apparent control, they suffered a setback just minutes later when Fernandes inexplicably gifted Forest an equalizer with a mishit back pass that caught goalkeeper Diogo Costa off guard. The ball rolled past Costa and into the corner of the net, leading to a stunned Fernandes, who was substituted shortly after due to injury.
Pereira was cautious about placing too many expectations on Wood, leading to his halftime substitution for Igor Jesus as part of a tactical adjustment for the upcoming match against Villa. “I was considering the next game,” Pereira acknowledged. “It’s crucial for us to secure points in the league, and that remains our priority.”
The nature of Fernandes’s comical own goal seemed to disrupt Porto’s rhythm, and they struggled to regain their attacking momentum until the second half, when Gomes missed a chance by shooting wide. While Forest appeared content to let the game drift, Porto intensified their offensive efforts, bringing on Deniz Gül, Pepe, and the promising Denmark midfielder Victor Froholdt.
It was Forest’s substitute, Omari Hutchinson, who created a rare opportunity with a cross that led to a disallowed goal from Igor Jesus. After a scramble, Jesus managed to beat Costa to the ball, but a VAR review determined he had handled it, resulting in the goal being ruled out.
Porto had their chances to clinch victory, with Stefan Ortega making a crucial save from Gomes, followed by Gül’s shot curling wide after a well-executed play with Froholdt. The best opportunity fell to Froholdt, who, after receiving a clever backheel from Pepe, saw his low shot narrowly miss the target.
