Nottm Forest Vs Fenerbahçe: Pereira's Side Survive Scare at City Ground to Reach Europa League Last 16

nottm forest vs fenerbahçe ended with a 2-1 win for the visitors on the night but Nottingham Forest sealed a 4-2 aggregate victory to reach the Europa League last 16. The tie was defined by an early Istanbul cushion, midmatch fireworks on to the pitch, and a late set-piece finish that restored Forest's aggregate cushion.

Kerem Akturkoglu's double turns tie on its head

Fenerbahçe forward Kerem Akturkoglu opened the scoring at the City Ground in the 22nd minute, converting a rapid break to give the Turkish side hope after Forest's 3-0 first-leg win in Istanbul. Seconds into the second half, Akturkoglu converted a penalty awarded after Jair Cunha made contact in the box; the on-field decision stood following a VAR check and made it 3-2 on aggregate. Akturkoglu finished with two goals on the night.

Fireworks disrupt match as 1, 500-strong away end throws pyrotechnics

Moments after kickoff a three-minute delay was forced when sections of a 1, 500-strong Fenerbahçe away end launched several fireworks on to the pitch, landing in the Forest penalty area. Jair Cunha had to take evasive action with his back turned, Neco Williams ducked while handling a device, and Fenerbahçe defender Archie Brown carried some pyrotechnics off the turf as he urged calm from the supporters.

Vitor Pereira's rotations, four half-time changes and the six-change admission

Vitor Pereira had the luxury of rotation after overseeing a 3-0 romp in Istanbul in his first game in charge of Nottingham Forest, but his selection choices made the second leg tense. After a first half with no shots on target, Pereira made four half-time substitutions, bringing on Callum Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus, Ola Aina and Ibrahim Sangaré. Pereira later acknowledged the difficulty of changing half his team and accepted responsibility for the dip, saying it was a risk to make six changes in total to manage players ahead of an important game in three days.

Nottm Forest Vs Fenerbahçe: Hudson-Odoi's 68th-minute goal restores Forest control

Forest settled when substitutes combined for the equaliser on aggregate. Ola Aina swung a cross into the box and Callum Hudson-Odoi, on the left, sped past his defender before hammering home his first European goal of the season in the 68th minute. The strike restored a two-goal aggregate cushion and relieved the City Ground crowd, leaving Fenerbahçe, already injury-hit, with little left to respond.

What this progression means for Forest and their next opponent

By winning 4-2 on aggregate, Nottingham Forest are in the draw for Friday's Europa League last-16 and will face either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland. The broader implication is that Forest’s emphatic first-leg performance in Istanbul provided a margin that allowed rotation across the tie; what makes this notable is how a dominant away result absorbed the risk of heavy squad changes back home. Forest enter the knockout phase while navigating domestic struggles, sitting 17th in the Premier League table.

Other European outcomes: Crystal Palace, Celtic and the next rounds

Crystal Palace also progressed in Europe, beating their opponents 2-0 at Selhurst Park to win 3-1 on aggregate. Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring at Selhurst Park to put Palace 2-1 up on aggregate, and January signing Evann Guessand sealed the tie late to make it 3-1 overall. Palace will face either Mainz or AEK Larnaca in the next round. Their manager, Oliver Glasner, who has previous European success, had faced supporter unrest after an earlier 1-1 draw in the play-off first leg but saw the team through this time.

Elsewhere, Celtic recorded a 1-0 win in Stuttgart, but they were eliminated from the Europa League after a 4-1 home defeat in the first leg left them unable to overturn the tie.

The draw that will decide Forest’s next opponent is scheduled for Friday, when Real Betis or FC Midtjylland will be paired with Vitor Pereira’s side. Unclear in the provided context is the precise date and time for Forest's upcoming domestic fixture that Pereira referenced when explaining his rotation decisions.