Nottingham Forest secured their place in the Europa League quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Midtjylland, winning 3-0 on spot-kicks after a 2-1 win on the night. The Danish side missed all three of their penalties, allowing Forest to progress despite a late equaliser from Martin Erlic that sent the tie to extra time.
Forest took the lead through Nicolás Domínguez's early header, and captain Ryan Yates doubled the advantage with a superb long-range strike. However, Erlic's goal midway through the second half levelled the aggregate score, forcing additional time. Neither side could find a winner, setting the stage for a tense penalty shootout.
Midtjylland's Cho Gue-sung hit the post with the first penalty, Aral Simsir struck the same upright, and Edward Chilufya dragged his effort over the bar. In contrast, Forest substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangaré, and Neco Williams all converted their spot-kicks to seal the victory.
The win sets up a quarter-final clash with Porto, a reunion for Forest manager Vítor Pereira, who previously led the Portuguese side in 2013. "The journey's not over yet – we're still dreaming," said Yates after the match, encapsulating the spirit of the Forest side.
