Nottingham Forest’s long-awaited return to European football at the City Ground was met with a heavy sense of anticipation—and, ultimately, a dose of disappointment—as FC Midtjylland edged the hosts 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie on March 13, 2026. With a capacity crowd of 29,502 roaring on the Tricky Trees, the Danish visitors once again proved a bogey side, having already claimed a 3-2 victory at the same venue earlier in the season.
For Forest, this was their first European knockout appearance in more than three decades, a milestone that brought both excitement and pressure. The club had battled through the playoffs, notably dispatching Fenerbahçe 4-2 on aggregate, to reach this stage. Yet their recent form had been patchy: just one win in their last six matches across all competitions, including a 2-2 draw at Manchester City and a string of defeats to Fenerbahçe and Liverpool.
Injuries and squad limitations loomed large in the buildup. Head coach Vitor Pereira was without several key players—Chris Wood, John Victor, Nicolo Savona, and Willy Boly—all sidelined with knee injuries. January signing Luca Netz was ineligible, omitted from the Europa League squad due to registration rules. There was also uncertainty in goal, as first-choice keeper Stefan Ortega continued to struggle with a calf issue that had kept him out of the Manchester City clash. As a result, Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels was handed the gloves for this crucial European night.
Pereira made three changes from the team that drew at the Etihad: Morato, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Omari Hutchinson were all drafted into the starting eleven, with Nikola Milenkovic, Ibrahim Sangare, and Neco Williams dropping to the bench. The final lineup saw Sels in goal, a back four of Murillo, Morato, Jair Cunha, and Ola Aina, with Dominguez and Elliot Anderson anchoring the midfield. Morgan Gibbs-White—who had scored in back-to-back games—took up his usual creative role, flanked by Hudson-Odoi and Hutchinson, while Igor Jesus led the line. Jesus entered the tie as the joint top scorer in the Europa League this season, with seven goals in eight appearances.
Midtjylland, riding high after advancing to the Danish Cup final just days earlier, arrived in Nottingham brimming with confidence. Despite being without their prolific striker Franculino (21 goals this season) due to a knee injury and missing Mikel Gogorza and suspended winger Dario Osorio, head coach Mike Tullberg’s side had lost just once in their last six outings. For this fixture, Denil Castillo replaced Osorio, while Ousmane Diao came in for Lee Han-beom in defense. The visitors’ starting eleven featured Olafsson in goal, a back line of Jensen, Bech, Erlic, and Diao, midfielders Bravo, Billing, and Castillo, with Simsir, Brumado, and Mbabu providing the attacking impetus.
The match itself was a finely poised tactical battle, reflecting the contrasting strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Forest, known for their attacking play down the wings and ability to create scoring opportunities, sought to exploit Midtjylland’s vulnerability in defending wide areas. However, the Danish side’s discipline and set-piece threat, coupled with Forest’s occasional frailty in protecting leads, made for an intriguing contest.
Despite the home crowd’s energy and Forest’s positive start, chances were at a premium. Elliot Anderson, fresh from his equalizer at City, tried to inject urgency from midfield, while Morgan Gibbs-White buzzed between the lines, looking to unlock the Danish defense. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson offered width, but the final ball too often eluded the Forest forwards. Igor Jesus, so often the hero in Europe this season, found himself marshaled by an organized Midtjylland back line.
On the other side, Midtjylland’s approach was pragmatic but effective. They weathered early pressure and began to assert themselves, particularly through the industrious Simsir and the physical presence of Brumado. The visitors’ ability to capitalize on set pieces and counter-attacks kept Forest’s defense honest, with Morato and Murillo called into action on several occasions.
The decisive moment arrived in a tense second half, when a swift Midtjylland break sliced through the Forest rearguard. Despite a valiant effort from Sels, the ball found its way into the net, sending the away fans into raptures and leaving Forest with a mountain to climb in the return leg. As the minutes ticked away, frustration grew among the home support. In stoppage time, Morgan Gibbs-White’s foul summed up Forest’s night: plenty of effort, but little reward.
According to ESPN, “Forest will look to Morgan Gibbs-White, who has scored in back-to-back games, to give the home crowd something to cheer about in this first leg.” Yet, despite his best efforts, the breakthrough never came. The final whistle confirmed a 1-0 defeat, with referee Rade Obrenovic bringing an end to a bruising encounter.
Post-match, attention inevitably turned to Forest’s injury woes and the impact of missing key personnel. The absence of Chris Wood, John Victor, Nicolo Savona, and Willy Boly left Pereira with limited options, particularly in defense and attack. The ineligibility of Luca Netz and Stefan Ortega’s ongoing fitness struggles further complicated matters. Nevertheless, the manager’s decision to bring in Hudson-Odoi and Hutchinson provided moments of promise, even if the end product was lacking.
For Midtjylland, the victory capped another impressive European away performance. Having already beaten Forest 3-2 at the City Ground earlier in the season, they will now feel confident heading into the second leg on home soil. Their resilience in the face of injuries and suspensions underscored the depth and organization that has propelled them to third in the league phase and into the Danish Cup final.
The result leaves Forest’s Europa League hopes hanging by a thread, but there remains a glimmer of optimism. The Tricky Trees have shown they can compete with Europe’s best, and with the return leg still to come, all is not lost. The challenge now is to regroup, address the injury crisis, and find the attacking spark that has occasionally flickered but too often failed to ignite in recent weeks.
As the dust settles at the City Ground, Forest fans will hope that this setback is merely a bump on the road to European redemption, rather than the end of a remarkable journey. With the tie delicately poised, the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion in Denmark.