Morgan Gibbs-White's deflected first-half effort proved enough for Nottingham Forest to reach their first European semi-final since 1984 following a tense quarter-final second leg against ten-man Porto.
2025/2026 UEFA Europa League
1-0
Match Report
Porto had started brightly in the opening leg seven days earlier and carved out the first chance of the return with barely a minute gone, Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega racing off his line to thwart Terem Moffi.
Any Porto momentum disappeared shortly afterwards when centre-back Jan Bednarek was dismissed for a challenge on Chris Wood, and the hosts took control of proceedings from there, captain Morgan Gibbs-White putting the Reds in front in the tie for the first time with a deflected strike that spun past the wrong-footed Diogo Costa.
Forest had a spell of pressure leading up to half-time, Omari Hutchinson and Murillo rustling the sidenetting and Nicolás Domínguez sending a glancing header fractionally wide.
The Dragons, revitalised by a quadruple change at the interval, came within centimetres of levelling ahead of the hour, William Gomes' powerful volley from a Seko Fofana delivery cannoning back off the underside of the bar.
The Premier League team took time to find the fluency of their first-half play, though only a smart Diogo Costa stop prevented sub Igor Jesus from finding the far corner.
However, it was Porto who went closest to getting the second goal of the evening late on as sub Alan Varela's dipping strike smacked the frame of Stefan Ortega's goal.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
8' Red Card! Jan Bednarek sent off
12' GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Porto (Morgan Gibbs-White)
36' Match Event for Nottingham Forest vs Porto
56' Match Event for Nottingham Forest vs Porto
76' Match Event for Nottingham Forest vs Porto
83' Highlight from Nottingham Forest vs Porto
Line-ups
Nottingham Forest XI: Wood, Ortega, Aina, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Dan Ndoye, Neco Williams, Omari Hutchinson, Jair Cunha, Murillo
Subs: Sels, Milenkovic, Hudson-Odoi, Ryan Yates, Lorenzo Lucca, Dilane Bakwa, Igor Jesus, Morato, McAtee, Zach Abbott, Jimmy Sinclair, Keehan Willows
Porto XI: Thiago Silva, S.Fofana, Bednarek, Diogo Costa, Pablo Rosario, Zaidu Sanusi, Terem Moffi, Sainz, Gabri Veiga, Alberto Costa, William Gomes
Subs: Cláudio Ramos, João Costa, Pepê, Francisco Moura, Kiwior, Gabriel Brás, Alan Varela, Dominik Prpić, Victor Froholdt, Rodrigo Mora, Deniz Gül, Tiago Silva