Nottm Forest Vs Fenerbahçe: Nervy Forest Survive 1-2 Home Test to Reach Europa League Last 16

In a tense second-leg encounter at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest edged past Fenerbahce 1-2 to progress 4-2 on aggregate and reach the Europa League last 16 — a result captured under the headline nottm forest vs fenerbahçe in recent match coverage. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s finish, his sixth goal of the season, ultimately ensured Forest advanced despite a nervy display.

Nottm Forest Vs Fenerbahçe — Match overview

The tie began with Forest holding a 3-0 cushion from the first leg. Fenerbahce reduced that lead when Kerem Akturkoglu scored after Forest were caught on the break on 22 minutes. The match swung further after half-time when a penalty was conceded 25 seconds into the restart by Jair Cunha for a trip on Akturkoglu; the striker converted to make it a nervy situation for the hosts. Hudson-Odoi, introduced at half-time, restored aggregate breathing room with a low finish 22 minutes from the end to make it 4-2 overall. Omari Hutchinson later ran clean through but was denied by Tarik Cetin, which kept the final score at Nottingham Forest 1-2 Fenerbahce on the night.

Key moments and goals in the tie

• 22nd minute: Akturkoglu scored after Forest were caught on the break.
• 25 seconds after the restart: Jair Cunha tripped Akturkoglu and conceded a penalty, which Akturkoglu converted.
• 22 minutes from full-time: Callum Hudson-Odoi, a half-time substitute, scored a low finish — his sixth of the season — to secure a 4-2 aggregate.
• Late chance: Omari Hutchinson was denied by Tarik Cetin after a clean break.

Tactical changes and manager decisions

Vitor Pereira made six changes to his starting XI following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, citing the need to manage energy ahead of the next Premier League game at Brighton on Sunday. Pereira said he accepted the risk of making those changes because he had to think about the Brighton match and the broader demands of the season. At half-time he made four further changes, withdrawing James McAtee and Ryan Yates among others, as Forest laboured in the first period and attempted to steady the tie in the second.

Post-match reactions from the coaches

Pereira described the night as like a thriller with suspense, noting they were under pressure but had moved forward and that the club still has ambition in the Europa League while also needing points in the Premier League to avoid a difficult situation. Fenerbahce coach Domenico Tedesco said his side were proud of their performance with personality and belief, reflected that at home they had lost the qualification, noted the opposition had changed coach a few days before which altered dynamics, and accepted they were out of the competition but could hold their heads up.

What comes next for Forest and the Europa League path

Forest will face either FC Midtjylland or Real Betis in the next round. FC Midtjylland beat Forest in October and that result contributed to Ange Postecoglou’s downfall at the club; Real Betis were a side against whom Forest drew 2-2 in Spain during the league phase. The immediate domestic focus remains the trip to Brighton on Sunday.

Fan reaction and wider coverage

Coverage asked for fan views on Thursday's Europa League defeat to Fenerbache, with Forest progressing on aggregate. Supporter responses were sharply divided:

• Kris: Happy to have passed the play-off test but described the second string as poor, grading the display a D minus and criticising Edu and striker Lucca for lack of pace and goal threat, concluding more is required.
• Ben: Noted Forest made it unnecessarily hard, concerned about how far off the pace backup players are and questioned why James McAtee struggles to show his quality in a Forest shirt.
• Pete: Called the result lucky, described the first half as a non-starter, but acknowledged reaching the next stage.
• Ian: Labelled the first half abject, criticised Morato, said the second half was better with three clear-cut chances but warned the team is still struggling in front of goal and could face relegation if things do not improve; praised the impact when Sangare and Aina came on.
• Graham: Said the much-changed side protected the aggregate and delivered a stinging breakdown of criticisms aimed at the striker’s all-round limitations.
• Peter: Declared Forest deserve to go down, called the football awful with sloppy mistakes and described Morato as dreadful.

Additional headlines appearing alongside fan commentary included items on Premier League news conferences (Slot - Wirtz expected to miss West Ham match), a note that sacking Amorim could cost nearly £16m, features on Cadillac and Audi projects, a tense family thriller starring James Nesbitt, a profile of a Traitors finalist’s Ramadan goals for 2026, a return of a messy tender comedy, an in-depth piece on candidates' tasks and tactics, a viral Twickenham mascot to England U18s prospect story under the tag #DoItLikeHarry, and a cricket note that India overpowered Zimbabwe to restore hopes of a semi-final spot. A planned live blog of Nottingham Forest vs Fenerbahce was unavailable at one point with a notice stating the blog was currently unavailable and to try again later.

Overall, while Nottingham Forest progressed 4-2 on aggregate after a 1-2 home scoreline, the match underlined lingering concerns about squad depth and consistency as the club balances Europa League ambition with Premier League pressures — themes that dominated reaction to the nottm forest vs fenerbahçe tie.