Nottingham Forest advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout win over FC Midtjylland in Denmark. The Premier League side, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, overturned the deficit with a 2-1 victory on the night before triumphing 3-0 on penalties, as Midtjylland missed all three of their spot-kicks.
Forest took control early, with Nicolás Domínguez heading in from a corner just before half-time. Captain Ryan Yates then doubled the lead with a stunning left-foot strike from the edge of the box early in the second half. However, Martin Erlic pulled one back for Midtjylland midway through the second half to level the tie, sending the match to extra time.
Neither side could find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, setting the stage for a tense penalty shootout. Midtjylland’s Cho Gue-sung and Aral Simsir both hit the post, while Edward Chilufya slipped and scooped his effort over the bar. Forest substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangaré, and Neco Williams all converted their penalties to secure the win.
“The journey’s not over yet – we’re still dreaming,” said Yates after the match. Forest will now face Porto in the last eight, a reunion for manager Vítor Pereira, who left the Portuguese club in 2013. The travelling fans, who sang of reaching the final in Istanbul, were rewarded for their support as Forest booked their first European quarter-final appearance in decades.
