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31 min: Midtjylland threaten a bit more as Castillo gets it back off Mbabu in the penalty area. A better touch from the midfielder and he had a decent shooting chance. Hutchinson wins a corner up the other end for Forest, headed away by Bech.
29 min: A bit of panic in the Forest ranks after Brumado runs on to a long clearance unchallenged by Morato, who was expected a flag. When Brumado’s loose touch reaches Sels, that flag is raised. A bit of a faff.
27 min: Murillo mucks in by launching a goal-kick deep into the Midtjylland half.
25 min: Billing comes under pressure in his own half and his flailing limbs leave Anderson and Gibbs-White on the floor. Anderson copped one in the face and is making that clear to the referee. Pereira has some choice words with Tullberg on the touchline – it’s getting a bit feisty.
23 min: Midtjylland have not looked a threat since Murillo’s early goal-line clearance. Mike Tullberg looks at his watch in their dugout. Bit early for that.
21 min: Great save from Olafsson! Hutchinson works it on to his left some 20-25 yards out and hits a powerful shot into the far top corner that the Midtjylland keeper stops at full stretch.
18 min: Jesus is getting a bit of joy up against the Midtjylland centre-backs. He’s come up with some nice layoffs and wins a foul off Diao this time after a smart turn.
16 min: Olafsson in the Midtjylland goal is the first to lose his footing in the wet weather. Fortunately for him not to as great a cost as other goalkeepers in Europe this week – his clearance found a teammate anyway.
14 min: Some off-the-ball battling from Anderson wins it back for Forest as they try to create an opening. Jesus tries to play through Gibbs-White but Midtjylland crowd him out.
12 min: Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus combine on halfway to set up a promising Forest counterattack but Hutchinson’s cutback is easily cleared. The home side have settled after Brumado’s early chance but still Midtjylland’s away corner is the loudest section of the crowd.
10 min: Milenkovic strides on with a smile on his face. He swaps the shelter of the dugout for the wind and rain of the open. Just when you think you’ve got the night off …
8 min: Jair Cunha’s night is up – he turns to react to a Midtjylland counter and looks to have rolled his ankle. He manages to hobble off but will play no further part. Milenkovic is getting stripped.
6 min: Cries for Murillo to shoot (he usually obliges) are ignored by the Forest centre-back some 30 yards out. The hosts enjoy a good spell of possession but Anderson gives it away.
4 min: Off the line! Murillo has to come to Forest’s rescue after Billing gets to the byline and crosses for Brumado. His header is well placed and eludes Sels but not Murillo, who hooks it clear.
2 min: Forest have lined up with a back three with Callum Hudson-Odoi at left wing-back and Ola Aina on the right. Omari Hutchinson is in a more central role.
Kick-off
We’ve had the Europa League anthem (very underrated in my opinion), some of the mascots heading away draped in a player’s oversized jacket such is the weather. The referee’s coin almost flies away during the toss.
Nicolas Domínguez gets the ball rolling for Forest.
“Today the weather is very good,” smiles Vítor Pereira in his pre-match TV chat. It’s been tipping it down during the warm-ups and the wind is swirling. The players will leave the refuge of the dressing rooms any moment now …
Europa League full-time scores in the early kick-offs:
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Bologna 1-1 Roma
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Panathinaikos 1-0 Real Betis
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Stuttgart 1-2 Porto
Tonight’s other fixtures (8pm GMT):
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Celta Vigo v Lyon
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Ferencvaros v Braga
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Genk v Freiburg
Crystal Palace are also in Conference League action at home to AEK Larnaca.
Forest captain Ryan Yates starts on the bench and he’s keen to get his hands on that shiny vase in Istanbul in May, underlining the positive spin it can put on their disappointing season to date.
It’s an absolute privilege, something not just me, but I think the whole team, the whole club, we really haven’t taken for granted. It’s finding that balance. These are such special days and occasions and we want to do our absolute best.
We don’t want to just take part. We have a very ambitious owner, and us as a club and our supporters, they expect a lot from us with the quality we have, and we want to do ourselves proud, do them proud and really progress.
We still have an incredible opportunity to have a really positive season and you have to take these opportunities when they come.
Tottenham are not the only relegation-threatened team in the European knockouts. Forest’s starting XI suggests that Vítor Pereira is looking to use the Europa League to generate some momentum in their bid for Premier League survival.
Pereira was talking this week, which ends with Sunday’s visit of Fulham:
For now, we try to be competitive in both, in the Europe League and try to get points and results in our league. I need to try to balance, but to be competitive in the next game and afterwards against Fulham.
It is important for the players to be ready to help the team, we need to be ready to challenge and perform. We have quality in the squad, they are working hard, with good energy, trying to understand the tactical demands. We will be ready.
It’s Spurs v Forest the weekend after this, by the way …
Aston Villa have taken the lead in their first leg at Lille. That was an early kick-off and you can follow the final 20 minutes here:
Starting lineups
Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi come in from the start for Forest as Nikola Milenkovic drops out.
Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): Sels; Cunha, Morato, Murillo; Aina, Hutchinson, Anderson, Domínguez, Hudson-Odoi; Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus
Subs: Gunn, Willows, Williams, Sangaré, Lucca, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Abbott
Midtjylland make two changes from their last fixture, a 1-1 draw with AGF (winning 2-1 on aggregate) in the Danish cup on Sunday.
Midtjylland (3-5-2): Ólafsson; Diao, Erlic, Bech; Mbabu, Castillo, Billing, Bravo, Bak; Brumado, Simsir
Subs: Lössl, Ugboh, Lee, Cho, Gabriel, Chilufya, Uhre, Andreasen, Zé
Referee: Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia)
Preamble
Ange Postecoglou was in the dugout the last time Nottingham Forest played Midtjylland in the Europa League. It was the beginning of October and, obviously, Big Ange didn’t oversee a win. Since that 3-2 home defeat in the league phase, Sean Dyche has come and gone, and now Vítor Pereira leads Forest deeper into their first European campaign for 30 years.
After seeing off Fenerbahce in the playoff round, Forest face Midtjylland in the first leg of their last 16 tie at the City Ground. The Danish side finished a lofty third in the league phase and their squad includes Premier League pedigree in Philip Billing, Kevin Mbabu and Mads Bech. The winner of this tie will take on Porto or Stuttgart in the quarter-finals and potentially set themselves on a collision course with Aston Villa in the last four.
Kick-off is 8pm (GMT) – team news is coming up shortly. Do get in touch with your thoughts on the game via email.
