Nottingham Forest beat Porto 1-0 at the City Ground on April 16, 2026, to reach the Europa League semi-finals for the first time since 1984. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal a few minutes after Jan Bednarek was sent off eight minutes into the match, and Forest advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
The decisive moment came when Gibbs-White’s shot deflected in off Porto defender Pablo Rosario, with the home side already playing against 10 men after referee Danny Makkelie showed Bednarek a red card on the recommendation of VAR Ivan Bebek following a challenge on Chris Wood. Forest will face Aston Villa in the last four.
It was a result that carried more than one night’s weight. Forest are still fighting to avoid relegation from England’s top flight, while Porto arrived as leaders of the Portuguese Primeira Liga. The tie had already been framed as a test of whether Forest could balance Europe and the league, and the result answered that question for one more round.
Forest should have settled the contest more comfortably after the break. William Gomes struck the bar for Porto and Alan Varela did the same later in the second half, but Stefan Ortega had already kept Forest in front with a second-minute save to deny Terem Moffi one-on-one. By then, Chris Wood, Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi had all been forced off with injuries, turning a controlled lead into a tense finish.
The club’s place in the semi-finals carries a heavy history of its own. This is Forest’s fourth European semi-final, and the first since a bribery scandal helped Anderlecht edge past them in the 1984 UEFA Cup. This time, there was no outside intervention and no escape route for Porto. Forest earned the night, and they now move on to face Aston Villa with a place in the final within reach.
