Ola Aina was introduced in the second half as Nottingham Forest F.C. secured a dramatic progression to the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals, overcoming FC Midtjylland on penalties after a tense encounter in Denmark.
Trailing 1–0 from the first leg at the City Ground, Forest responded with a 2–1 victory in the return leg to level the tie on aggregate before holding their nerve in a 3–0 penalty shootout win.
Manager Vítor Pereira made several changes to his starting lineup, with Aina beginning the match on the bench as the Premier League side balanced domestic priorities with their European ambitions.
Nottingham Forest dominated large spells of the contest but had to wait until late in the first half to break the deadlock. With five minutes remaining before half-time, Nicolás Domínguez opened the scoring with a looping header following a well-worked attacking move, giving the visitors a foothold in the tie.
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The momentum carried into the second half, and in the 52nd minute, captain Ryan Yates fired a powerful long-range strike past goalkeeper Elias Rafn Ólafsson to put Forest ahead on aggregate.
However, the Danish hosts responded in the 69th minute when Martin Erlić capitalised on a loose ball inside the box to restore parity and force the contest into extra time.
With the game finely poised, Pereira turned to his bench, introducing Aina alongside key players in a bid to regain control. The Nigerian defender’s arrival in the 75th minute added energy and defensive stability as Forest pushed for a decisive goal.
Despite creating further chances — including efforts that were ruled out for offside — neither side could find a winner in extra time, sending the tie to penalties.
In the shootout, Midtjylland faltered under pressure, missing all three of their attempts. Forest, by contrast, were clinical, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangaré and Neco Williams all converting to seal progression.
The result marks a significant moment in Forest’s European campaign, as they overturn a first-leg deficit to advance to the last eight, where they will face FC Porto.
For Aina, it was another valuable contribution off the bench as he continues to play a role in Forest’s push both domestically and in Europe.
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