William Gomes gave Porto a lead. Martim Fernandes gave it back, with one of the more extraordinary own goals of this Europa League campaign.
A 25-yard back-pass that sailed past his own goalkeeper. A moment that flipped the psychology of the tie in an instant.
Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest. Second leg at the City Ground on 16 April. The aggregate is level.
How It Happened
Porto took an early lead through William Gomes. It put Nottingham Forest in exactly the position a visiting side does not want at the Estádio do Dragão: behind, chasing the game, with the home crowd behind Porto.
Then came the Fernandes moment. A back-pass from 25 yards, seemingly routine, sailed into Porto’s own net. Goals do not come much more unlikely than this. The psychological shift was immediate. Porto’s home advantage, a two-goal lead in the first leg would have made the second leg straightforward, evaporated.
Forest had a goal disallowed in the second half. What the VAR check found, or whether the call was correct, is a matter for officials. What matters for the data is that Stefan Ortega was repeatedly called into action in the Forest goal and kept the score at 1-1 through some important saves.
The final whistle at the Estádio do Dragão left both sides level on aggregate.
What It Means
A draw away from home in a European quarter-final is a usable result. Porto are the higher-profile side, playing at home, and they could not win. Forest return to the City Ground on 16 April with everything still to play for.
The City Ground will be loud next Thursday. The second leg has all the ingredients of a decisive European night.
The context around Forest makes this result remarkable. The club currently sit 17th in the Premier League, navigating a difficult domestic season while competing at this level of European football. Managing two campaigns simultaneously, one with relegation concerns, one in the UEL quarter-finals, is a genuine feat.
For Porto, the frustration is real. Home advantage produced a lead, but the own goal and an inability to find a decisive second mean they go to Nottingham needing to score. If Forest score at the City Ground, Porto need two more without conceding. The tie is firmly open.
Looking Ahead
Second leg: Nottingham Forest vs Porto, City Ground, Thursday 16 April 2026.
A Forest win sends them through. A Porto win by two or more goals sends Porto through. A Porto win by one goal sends the tie to extra time.
One goal, on a Thursday night on the banks of the Trent, could decide everything.
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