2025-26 UEL Quarter-Finals: First Leg – Porto vs Forest

Porto host Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Quarter-Final tie in 2025-26 UEFA Europa League. 

Porto overcame Stuttgart in their Round of 16 tie to reach this stage, whilst Forest needed penalties to beat Midtjylland to progress to this round after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

 

Team News

Rodrigo Mora is a doubt for Porto after he suffered a leg injury during their Primera League win over Famalicao.

Nehuen Perez (Achilles), Luuk De Jong and Samu (both ACL) are ruled out.

Forest will be without Elliot Anderson who is suspended for the first leg due to an accumulation of yellow-card bookings.

Chris Wood could return from a lengthy knee injury if fit but Jair Cunha (foot), Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona and John Victor (all knee) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Porto host Forest at Estadio do Dragao on Thursday 9 April at 8pm CEST, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Porto lost 2-0 in their only previous meeting against Forest, which came away at the City Ground in October 2025 in the league phase of this season’s edition.
• Forest are making their first competitive visit to Porto in all UEFA competitions.
• Porto have won all five home matches in this season’s Europa League (W5), during which they kept two clean sheets.
• Seven of Igor Jesus’ 13 total goals for Forest this season have been scored in the Europa League.

 

Prediction

Having had almost two-and-a-half weeks of preparation time off the back of a clinical domestic victory at Tottenham in a clash which could be crucial come end of season, Forest can come into this leg full of belief as underdogs but their counter-attacking approach has to be clinical against top opposition.

Porto meanwhile are an experienced European team and know that this is a great opportunity to fight for a rare European trophy, so I expect them to start this first leg as favourites and it is hard to see them losing this given that they have lost just once at home all season.

Forest therefore must replicate their clinical counter-attacking performance from last time out to an absolute tee if they’re to get this tie back home still in the balance, so the first goal could be key and I just think that Porto might have the edge.

Prediction: Porto 2-1 Forest

Result: Porto 1-1 Forest