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

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

With the tie locked at 1-1 on aggregate after the first leg, victory would see Forest or Porto advance but another draw would send the tie to extra time and potentially penalties.

 

Team News

Forest have no fresh injury concerns to report coming into this match after their 1-1 draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Elliot Anderson is back in contention after he was suspended for the first leg.

Jair Cunha (foot) could return if he passes late fitness checks, but Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona and John Victor (all knee) remain absent.

Porto will be without defender, Martim Fernandes after he suffered a right ankle injury during the first leg, just minutes after his own-goal gifted Forest an equaliser.

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

 

When is Kick-Off?

Forest host Porto at the City Ground on Thursday 16 April at 8pm BST, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Forest are yet to lose to Porto in the Europa League (W1, D1).
• Porto lost 2-0 in their only previous visit to Forest in October 2025 during the league phase of this season’s competition.
• Forest are yet to keep a clean sheet at home in the knockout stages of this season’s competition (L2).
• Three of Porto’s five away goals in this season’s competition were scored after half time.

 

Prediction

Having got the tie home still in the balance after a defensive display to grind out a 1-1 draw despite being outplayed in terms of attack, Forest now need to bring their attacking flair just like they did at home in the league phase because this is theirs to lose if they turn up with the right approach.

Porto though are no pushovers given their experience and dominance at home in the first leg, but they haven’t really scored many goals on the road in Europe this season, which means that they ideally need to score first if they’re to stand any chance of preventing an all-English semi-final.

Forest also need to put the fact that they lost their two previous knockout matches at home aside and treat this as a cup final if they’re to beat their Portuguese visitors, but I do think that this will be close and I can see them winning this in extra time with the help of a spirited home crowd.

Prediction: Forest 2-1 (AET) Porto

Result: Forest 1-0 Porto (Forest win 2-1 on aggregate)