Forest reach first European semi-final in over 40 years to set up all-English clash with Villa
Gibbs-White goal secures aggregate win over Porto
Nottingham Forest reached their first European semi-final since 1984 as they set up an all-English Europa League last-four meeting with Aston Villa.
Not since the glory days of Brian Clough have Forest performed as well on the continent, where they won back-to-back European Cups and got to the last four of the UEFA Cup in a five-year period.
Now, Vitor Pereira’s current crop are dreaming of writing their own chapter in the club’s storied history after they dispatched 10-man Porto 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final.
Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal of the game to earn a 1-0 second-leg win on a night where the club rallied around England international Elliot Anderson, whose mother died in the build up to the game.
Forest’s landmark victory, helped by former Southampton defender Jan Bednarek’s early red card, flies in the face of their turbulent season, which has seen them go through four managers.
Their European joy is tempered by their precarious Premier League situation, with relegation still a real possibility heading towards the final stretch of the campaign.
And many will see the crunch clash against Burnley on Sunday as even more important than Thursday’s win against the Portuguese outfit, which was more nervy than it should have been with the visitors twice hitting the woodwork.
Celebrations were dampened as Chris Wood limped off with a knee injury in just his third game back after a six-month lay off, followed in the second half by Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo.