Nottingham Forest booked their place in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals after a narrow 1-0 victory against FC Porto at the City Ground. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the decisive goal early in the first half, ensuring progression in a tightly contested encounter.
Ola Aina delivered a full-match performance and remained solid throughout the tie. The Nigerian defender has now featured in seven Europa League matches this season, registering one assist after returning from a three-month hamstring injury. His consistency has strengthened Forest’s defensive structure during their European campaign.
Despite taking an early lead, Forest faced pressure, especially after a red card disrupted their shape in the second half. Aina admitted the team had to work hard to maintain control.
“We never made it easy for ourselves, but I cannot complain. We’re into the semifinals of the Europa League, so I’m happy with it.”
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The result marks a historic milestone for the club, reaching their first European semi-final since 1984.
”It feels amazing after the season we’ve been having. Sometimes these rewards feel phenomenal, so I’m just happy to get into a semi-final with these boys, this club. Everybody deserves it.”
Forest’s journey has come during a season of managerial instability, yet the players have remained focused. Aina highlighted the importance of both mentality and quality within the squad.
“Yes, definitely. The character of the boys, and the quality as well, to be honest. We have the quality to do these types of things, so it’s definitely a testament to ourselves and the club.”
The latter stages of the match saw a drop in cohesion as Forest adjusted to the situation on the pitch.”There was a bit of confusion. Some of us wanted to settle the play, some wanted to get more goals, so it was just a bit of confusion. But the core thing was to work hard and sort it out — and that’s what we did,” Aina explained.
Forest will now face Aston Villa in the semi-finals, with the squad aiming to extend their impressive European run.
“At the beginning of the season, these are the sort of games you want to play in, so we have to soak everything up and try our best. It will be a tough game against Aston Villa, we already know how good they are.”
As the semi-finals approach, Forest will look to carry that same discipline and determination into their clash with Aston Villa, with a place in the Europa League final now firmly within reach.
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