The night at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, was set for drama, and it delivered every ounce of it. On March 20, 2026, Midtjylland’s dreams of a UEFA Europa League quarterfinal berth were dashed in the most agonizing fashion, as the Danish side fell to Nottingham Forest after a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. The second leg of the Round of 16 ended 1-2 in favor of the visitors, equaling the aggregate at 2-2 and sending the tie into extra time and ultimately penalties—where Midtjylland missed all three of their opening kicks, sealing their fate with a 0-3 shootout loss.
The build-up to this clash had been filled with optimism for Midtjylland, who carried a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in England. South Korean internationals Cho Gue-sung and Lee Han-beom, both recently named in their national team’s March A-match squad, started on the bench but would play pivotal roles as the night unfolded. The home crowd was buzzing, hoping to see their team make history with a spot in the last eight.
Nottingham Forest, stung by their first-leg defeat, came out with purpose. The English Premier League side pressed high and hard from the opening whistle, unsettling the Midtjylland backline. Early warning shots were fired by the visitors, with Luca and Bakwa both testing goalkeeper Olapson. Midtjylland, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm, pinned back by Nottingham’s relentless energy.
The breakthrough came in the 40th minute. A well-worked corner routine saw Dylan Bakwa whip a cross into the area, where Nikola Milenkovic rose to nod the ball down. Nicolas Dominguez pounced, redirecting the ball with a clinical header to give Nottingham the lead on the night and level the aggregate. The away goal rule no longer in play, but the psychological momentum had shifted. According to match reports, “Nottingham took the lead in the second half with a goal by Ryan Yates in the 52nd minute.” Yates received a pass from Hutchinson and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the area, sending Forest fans into raptures and putting Midtjylland on the brink.
Facing elimination, Midtjylland made bold moves. Lee Han-beom was brought on at halftime to shore up the defense, while Cho Gue-sung entered the fray in the 56th minute to add bite to the attack. The South Korean striker had already been the hero in the first leg, scoring the decisive goal, and now he was asked to rescue his team once more.
Midtjylland’s response was swift. In the 69th minute, Beck sent in a cross from the left. Cho Gue-sung met it with a powerful header in the box; the ball ricocheted off a Nottingham defender and fell kindly to Martin Erlic, who smashed a left-footed shot into the roof of the net. The stadium erupted as the aggregate was tied at 2-2, and hope flickered anew for the Danes. As one report described, “Cho Gue-sung contributed to the goal at 69 minutes by heading a cross that rebounded to Erlic, who scored.”
The tension ratcheted up as both sides sought a winner. Cho Gue-sung nearly turned provider again in the 81st minute, latching onto a loose ball and firing a left-footed shot toward goal, only for Nottingham’s goalkeeper Ortega to produce a stunning save. “Cho Gue-sung had a scoring chance in the 81st minute but was stopped by the goalkeeper,” noted one match summary. The final minutes of regular time saw chances at both ends, but the deadlock held, sending the tie into extra time.
Fatigue began to show as the minutes ticked by. Both teams carved out half-chances, but neither could find the decisive blow. Nottingham’s Luca thought he’d scored in the opening moments of extra time, only for the goal to be ruled offside. Midtjylland’s fans urged their team forward, but the breakthrough never came. The match, balanced on a knife’s edge, was destined to be decided from the spot.
The penalty shootout began with Nottingham taking the first kick—and converting. The pressure then shifted to Midtjylland’s first taker, Cho Gue-sung. The South Korean stepped up confidently, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, but saw his shot crash agonizingly off the left post and out. “Cho Gue-sung was the first penalty taker but missed his shot by hitting the left goalpost,” echoed across all post-match reports. The miss appeared to rattle the home side, as both subsequent kickers—Aral Simcic and Edward Chilufya—also failed to convert.
Nottingham, by contrast, were clinical. Their first three takers all found the net, and with Midtjylland unable to score, the shootout ended swiftly at 0-3. The English side celebrated a comeback for the ages, having overturned a first-leg deficit to book their place in the quarterfinals. For Midtjylland, the sense of what might have been hung heavy in the air.
After the match, Midtjylland coach Mike Tulberg was candid about his team’s shortcomings. “There was a clear class difference in the first 50 minutes,” he admitted, lamenting his side’s lack of energy and their overly passive approach. The coach’s honest assessment mirrored the frustration of the home supporters, who had watched their team come so close only to falter at the final hurdle.
For Cho Gue-sung, the night was a tale of highs and lows. The striker, who had been so influential in the first leg, played a crucial part in the equalizer but was left to rue his missed penalty. The outcome was especially bitter, as he and fellow South Korean Lee Han-beom now turn their attention to national team duty with the March A-match schedule looming.
Midtjylland’s European adventure may have ended in heartbreak, but their fighting spirit and the electric atmosphere at MCH Arena will linger long in the memory. Nottingham Forest march on, their resilience and composure under pressure earning them a deserved place in the Europa League’s last eight. As for Midtjylland, attention now shifts back to domestic competition and the hope that, with lessons learned, another European journey awaits in the seasons to come.