Nottingham Forest v Fenerbahce: Europa League second-leg live — Forest chase last-16 spot after 3-0 first leg
The Europa League second-leg knockout round playoff at the City Ground kicked off at 8pm GMT with Nottingham Forest defending a three-goal first-leg advantage. This match doubles as crucial European progress and a barometer of how a newly appointed head coach has settled in; it carries domestic consequences for the hosts and presents an uphill recovery task for the visitors.
Europa League tie at the City Ground: stakes and recent context
Forest arrived with a 3-0 lead from the first leg in Istanbul, a result achieved four days after Vitor Pereira’s appointment as head coach following the sacking of Sean Dyche. Goals in that first leg came from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White inside the first 50 minutes, marking Forest’s biggest ever away win in European competition. The winners of this tie will face either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland in the last 16. Forest can afford a two-goal loss on the night and still progress on aggregate.
Match action and minute-by-minute developments
Live updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off tracked a series of decisive moments between roughly the 59th and 83rd minutes. At 59 minutes, the goalkeeper Ortega appeared to be fine. Around the 61st minute Marco Asensio was noted as set to join the action, and shortly after Asensio replaced Oguz. At 61 minutes Aina won possession from Kante in midfield and found Hutchinson, whose cross was overhit. By 62 minutes Asensio’s introduction was confirmed.
At 64 minutes Brown attempted a forward run but was impeded by pressure from Jesus, who forced a fall that the referee treated as a free-kick. At 66 minutes Hudson-Odoi attacked Semedo on the outside and floated a cross behind. Moments later it was noted that Fiorentina lost 4-2 to Jagiellonia Bialystock on the night and progressed 5-4 on aggregate.
At 67 minutes concern about Ortega persisted, and it was observed that if Nottingham Forest brought on Angus Gunn, who was warming up, they could not use further substitutions and would still have Morgan Gibbs-White listed as an emergency option on the bench. At 70 minutes Aina produced decisive wing play, arcing a cross to the back post where Hudson-Odoi controlled slightly inside and then fired a low shot that took a deflection off Semedo and found the far corner. That goal was described as effectively securing Forest’s position ahead of the next day’s draw.
Into the mid-70s, two substitutions for Fenerbahce were recorded with Brown and Cherif replaced by Mercan and Ekici. Reports at 75 minutes said the goal had taken the puff out of Fenerbahce as Forest pushed for another, with Hudson-Odoi later skimming a curling attempt just wide. At 79 minutes Hutchinson drove forward and slid a pass to Jesus, who was put through between Guendouzi and Demir; Tariq came out quick but Jesus’s low shot was saved by the goalkeeper’s sprawling stop.
At 77 minutes a long pass from a player thought to be Kante reached Akturkoglu, who controlled well before possession was taken from him. By 83 minutes commentary observed a wider tournament note: there is not much quality left in this competition, but cup ties can be unpredictable; Forest and Villa still have a good chance of doing something, and Porto’s manager Francesco Farioli was singled out as someone who knows something about the competition.
Forest's form, management change and domestic concern
Vitor Pereira’s first matches in charge included the 3-0 European statement in Turkey. He sought a repeat of that style in the Premier League home game with Liverpool, where Forest controlled large periods but lost to a 97th-minute winner from Alexis Mac Allister. That defeat left Forest 17th in the domestic table and two points above the relegation zone, and Pereira urged his players to return stronger and with confidence.
Fenerbahce's uphill task and recent results
Fenerbahce arrive having suffered consecutive home defeats for the first time in European competition context: a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in the League Phase was followed by the first-leg 3-0 reverse to Forest. Their recent Europa League record shows only one win in the last six matches (with three draws and two losses). Historically in Europe against English opposition they have prevailed in four of 22 meetings (two draws and 13 losses) and have never progressed from any of their previous 26 knockout ties after losing the first leg. Still, a 14-game unbeaten away run in all competitions since September, recorded as 10 wins and 4 draws, offers a reason for belief in a turnaround.
Domestically the Yellow Canaries drew 1-1 at home with Kasimpasa on Monday: Marco Asensio struck in the 95th minute but the goal was cancelled out in the 101st minute by visitors reduced to 10 men. Despite that late drama, Fenerbahce remained unbeaten in 23 top-flight matches with a record of 15 wins and 8 draws, and they moved to within two points of leaders Galatasaray, who had been beaten by Konyaspor. The assessment offered was that their title hopes appear more realistic than their prospects of European progression.
What happens next
With the second leg in progress and the aggregate situation favouring Nottingham Forest, immediate next steps are the match finishing and the winners preparing for a last-16 tie against either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland. Several in-game variables—substitution choices, goalkeeper fitness concerns, and momentum swings recorded in the minutes described—remain relevant. Further updates may evolve as the match concludes; details beyond what is provided here are unclear in the provided context.
