Europa League pressure test shifts focus onto Nottingham Forest’s squad and Premier League fitness

Who feels the impact first is clear: Nottingham Forest’s squad and coaching decisions take immediate strain after a tense Europa League night. The club progressed in the europa league despite a nervy second leg that saw Kerem Akturkoglu score twice — one from the penalty spot — and Callum Hudson-Odoi, a half-time substitute, net his sixth goal of the season to steady the tie. The result leaves Forest juggling rotation, recovery and an important Premier League trip next.

Immediate effect on selection, energy and the run-in

Vitor Pereira made wholesale changes before and during the match: six alterations were made following a Sunday 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, and four further changes came at half-time, including withdrawing James McAtee and Ryan Yates. Pereira framed those choices around the upcoming Premier League game at Brighton on Sunday, saying the risk was taken so the team could arrive there with "fuel and energy". The club’s stated ambition in the europa league remains to move forward, but Pereira also warned the Premier League table position is uncomfortable and requires attention.

Match details and key moments

Thursday’s fixture at the City Ground tilted dramatically during a compact spell. Forest were caught on the break on 22 minutes, allowing Kerem Akturkoglu to fire in. Thirty-five seconds after the interval — 25 seconds after the restart, in the provided detail — Jair Cunha was penalised for tripping Akturkoglu; the striker converted the second-half spot-kick. Elliot Anderson went close with a shot that went wide, and Omari Hutchinson later ran clean through but was denied by Tarik Cetin. Hudson-Odoi, introduced at half-time, finished low 22 minutes from the end to ease fears of a complete collapse.

Two different aggregate totals appear in the available material: one account states the tie finished 4-2 on aggregate in Forest’s favour, while another live account records Forest moving on 4-3 on aggregate. This discrepancy is unclear in the provided context and is noted here without resolution.

Europa League opponents and threads from earlier meetings

Progress sends Forest to a last-16 tie against either FC Midtjylland or Real Betis. Midtjylland beat Forest in October, a result the material links to sparking Ange Postecoglou’s downfall; Forest also drew 2-2 in Spain against Real Betis during the league phase. Those prior meetings remain relevant to how the next opponent will be viewed internally.

Reactions from the dugouts and broader reflections

Pereira described the match as suspenseful and said the squad suffered at times, yet he expressed satisfaction at moving forward. Fenerbahce coach Domenico Tedesco praised his side’s personality and belief, conceded that they lost qualification at home, noted that a recent coaching change had altered dynamics, and accepted elimination with heads held up. One live commentary strand added that Fenerbache, Galatasaray and Samsunspor have been strong domestically this season and that Turkish clubs may be stirring in European competition.

• Hudson-Odoi’s goal was his sixth of the season and came after he was introduced at half-time.
• Kerem Akturkoglu scored twice, the second from a penalty conceded by Jair Cunha soon after the interval.
• Pereira made six pre-match changes after a 1-0 loss to Liverpool and later made four substitutions at the break.
• Forest will face either FC Midtjylland (who beat them in October) or Real Betis (they drew 2-2 in Spain).
• There is a conflicting record of the aggregate score (one account says 4-2, another 4-3); that conflict is unclear in the provided context.

Here’s the part that matters for supporters: rotation bought short-term freshness but produced a nervy performance that required a late calm from a substitute. The real question now is whether that gamble leaves the squad sharper or more fragile for the Premier League match at Brighton on Sunday.

Play-by-play notes in the live coverage added peripheral snapshots: stoppage-time minutiae, references to other European fixtures (Palace leading Zrinjski 2-1 on aggregate in one thread), and commentary on wider trends in continental football that mentioned clubs such as Roma, Lyon, Stuttgart, Villa, Porto and managers like Francesco Farioli. There were also throwaway match images in the live feed — for instance, a line referenced a player named "Tariq" moving smartly in a chance — reflecting the immediacy and occasional inconsistency of live blogs.

It’s easy to overlook, but the tie layers club ambition against fixture congestion: the manager explicitly tied Europa League ambition to safeguarding Premier League points, and an October loss to Midtjylland remains a touchpoint. Expect the next days to clarify squad fitness and the precise aggregate outcome if needed.

Writer’s aside: the match reads like a microcosm of Forest’s season — flashes of quality, hasty rotations and late drama — and that pattern will shape how supporters and the coaching staff view the immediate priorities.