The "European Dream" is alive and well in the East Midlands. On Thursday, March 19, 2026, Nottingham Forest produced a grit-and-glory performance at the MCH Arena to
overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against FC Midtjylland.
After 120 minutes of intense action ended 2-1 on the night (2-2 on aggregate), Forest held their nerve to win a "farcical" penalty shootout 3-0, booking their spot in a European Quarter-Final for the first time since 1996.
The Match Breakdown: A Night of Drama in Denmark
Despite manager Vítor Pereira making nine changes to the starting XI to preserve energy for their Premier League relegation battle against Tottenham this Sunday, Forest’s "understudies" rose to the occasion.
Goal (Forest) ⚽,41',Nicolás Domínguez,A looping header from a Nikola Milenković flick-on to tie the aggregate score.
Goal (Forest) ⚽,52',Ryan Yates,A thunderous 25-yard strike into the top corner. Captain's goal! 🎯
Goal (Midtjylland) ⚽,69',Martin Erlić,A powerful half-volley from close range to force extra time.
Yellow Card 🟨,114',Elliot Anderson,A tactical foul during a tense extra-time period.
The Shootout: Midtjylland Crumble
The penalty shootout will go down as one of the most one-sided in Europa League history. While Forest’s substitutes were clinical, the Danish side seemed to freeze under the floodlights.
Forest (3): Morgan Gibbs-White (✅), Ibrahim Sangaré (✅), Neco Williams (✅).
Midtjylland (0): Cho Gue-sung (❌ - Post), Aral Simsir (❌ - Post), Edward Chilufya (❌ - Slipped and blazed over).
Stat Attack: Nottingham Forest are the first English team ever to progress from a UEFA Cup/Europa League knockout tie after losing the first leg at home. 🛡️✨