Nottingham Forest secured a dramatic Europa League quarter-final berth after a penalty shootout victory over Midtjylland in Denmark, winning 3-0 on spot-kicks following a 2-2 aggregate draw. The hosts missed all three penalties, allowing Forest to progress despite a late equaliser that forced extra time.
Forest stunned the Danish side by taking a 2-0 lead on the night through Nicolás Domínguez's early header and captain Ryan Yates's superb long-range strike. However, Martin Erlic pulled one back for Midtjylland in the second half, sending the tie to extra time. After 127 minutes, substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangaré and Neco Williams converted perfect penalties to seal the win.
Manager Vítor Pereira made several changes from the weekend draw with Fulham, with only Nikola Milenkovic and Domínguez retaining their places. The travelling fans were treated to an attacking display, with James McAtee impressing in the space between the lines. Yates hit the crossbar early on, while Philip Billing cleared off the line from a corner.
Midtjylland's penalty woes began when Cho Gue-sung hit the post, followed by Aral Simsir striking the same post. Edward Chilufya then slipped and scooped his effort over the bar, handing Forest victory. The win sets up a quarter-final clash with Porto, Pereira's former club.
“The journey’s not over yet – we’re still dreaming,” said Yates after the match. Forest now turn their attention to Sunday's Premier League trip to Tottenham.
