Nottingham Forest and Porto Face Off in Crucial Europa League Quarter-Final Clash
Nottingham Forest made significant changes to their lineup ahead of the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Porto. Five new players entered the fray: Neco Williams, Ibrahim Sangaré, Omari Hutchinson, Jair Cunha, and Ola Aina replaced Morato, Ryan Yates, James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa, and Zach Abbott. Notably, Elliott Anderson missed the match due to the passing of his mother; he had also faced suspension for the first leg. On the other side, Porto made only one alteration, with Alberto Costa stepping in for the injured Martim Fernandes, who had infamously scored an own goal in the previous encounter. Fans of the Premier League might recognize some familiar faces in the Porto squad: Thiago Silva - a Champions League and Club World Cup winner with Chelsea in 2021 Jan Bednarek - a former Southampton player from 2017 to 2025 Jakub Kiwior - currently on loan from Arsenal Looking back, six months ago, Nottingham Forest had a favorable result against Porto, which boosts their confidence for this matchup. Furthermore, Porto struggles in England are well-documented, having played 24 competitive matches without a single win (D3 L21). As the teams prepare for kick-off at 8 PM BST, the aggregate score stands at 1-1, setting the stage for an intense battle. The winner will face either Aston Villa or Bologna in the next round, heightening the stakes for both sides.
Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-04-16