
UEFA Europa League
7:00 p.mApril 16, 2026
Quarter finals

Nottingham Forest*1 – 0
VAT:(1-0)
Added:(2-1)

FC PortoCity land
Referee: Danny Makkelie, Netherlands


Nottingham Forest


FC Porto
Turn off the spoiler to see match stats
1.92
Expected Goals (xG)
1.06
Passing by
462 (90%)
Accurate passes
258 (78%)
Turn off the spoiler to see the events of the match
27
G
Stefan Ortega
7.2
d
Nico Williams
5
d
Murillo
6.9
23
d
Jairus
7.3
34
d
country life
7.3
16
M
Nicolas DomÃnguez
6.5
6
M
Ibrahim Sangaré
7.9
14
M
Dan Ndoye
6.6
M
Morgan Gibbs-White (C)
12′
M
Omari Hutchinson
11
F
Chris Wood
6.7

UEFA Europa League Ranking – UEFA Europa League
Qualification/Relegation
- Promotion – Europa League (Play Off: Round of 16)
- Promotion – Europa League (Play Off: 1/16 final)
Nottingham Forest secured a vital 1-0 win over ten-man FC Porto at the City Ground as Morgan Gibbs-White’s opener settled a tense Europa League clash.
Nottingham Forest came into this game looking for their first win of the campaign, having drawn their previous outing. By contrast, FC Porto arrived in England with a perfect record in the competition, sitting comfortably at the top of the table.
The game turned decisively in the eighth minute. Porto defender Jan Bednarek was shown a red card, forcing the visitors to play the vast majority of the match with ten men.
Forest took advantage of this numerical advantage almost immediately. In the 12th minute, Morgan Gibbs-White found the net, firing past the keeper to give the home side a deserved lead.
Porto struggled to regain their composure after early dismissal. Terence Moffi and Andre Costa saw yellow cards before the break as the visitors struggled to contain Forest’s relentless attack.
The first part remained physical throughout. Omar Hutchinson also got into the referee’s book in the 40th minute, capping off a frantic first period at the City Ground.
At the break, Porto’s coach faced a difficult tactical dilemma. Down a goal and a man down, they had to prioritize defensive stability as they looked to equalize on the counter-attack.
Forest dominated the second half, maintaining 61 percent possession. They controlled the tempo, forcing the Portuguese side to chase shadows around the pitch for long periods of time.
Neco Williams stood out for the hosts, earning an 8.2 rating. His four key passes and four tackles showed his influence at both ends of the pitch throughout the 94 minutes.
Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa kept his team in contention with four saves. Despite their efforts, the visitors managed just one shot on target, failing to break down the disciplined Forest defence.
The stats reflected Forest’s superiority, with the home side having 19 shots compared to Porto’s 10. Forest created high-quality chances and finished the match with an expected goal value (xG) of 1.92.
This result provides a significant boost for Nottingham Forest, who are now looking to make a push in Europe. Porto will reflect on the initial red card as the defining moment that derailed their perfect start to the competition.

