Nottingham Forest progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League after a penalty shootout victory over FC Midtjylland on Thursday, following a 2-2 aggregate draw. The match at the MCH Arena ended 2-1 to Forest, with the shootout finishing 3-2 in favour of the Premier League side.
Vítor Pereira’s team had trailed 1-0 from the first leg, and despite a dominant first-half performance, the game went to extra time and then penalties. Nicolas Dominguez had given Forest the lead on the night, levelling the tie, but Midtjylland proved resilient on their home ground.
The penalty shootout saw Neco Williams score the decisive spot-kick for Forest, after misses from Edward Chilufya and Aral Simsir of Midtjylland. Ibrahim Sangaré and Morgan Gibbs-White likewise converted their penalties for the visitors.
Referee Felix Zwayer issued a yellow card to Elliot Anderson during the match, and the game featured a high number of fouls. Betting previews had highlighted the potential for cards, with Zwayer having a high average of cards per game in European competitions, averaging 4.96 cards in 28 Europa League appearances and 5.21 cards per game combining Europa League and Champions League matches.
Forest’s win came despite a much-changed starting XI, with Pereira prioritizing their upcoming Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur. The travelling support of 600 Forest fans witnessed a hard-fought victory, with the team creating numerous chances in the first half, including Ryan Yates hitting the bar and Lorenzo Lucca failing to convert a clear opportunity.
The match ended with a penalty shootout after a tense second half and extra time, with both teams battling for a place in the last eight of the competition. The result marks a significant achievement for Nottingham Forest in their Europa League campaign.
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