So much for the dominance of English clubs in Europe. After England’s gang of six in the Champions League failed to collect a single win in the Champions League across Tuesday and Wednesday evening, things did not fare much better on Thursday.
Ollie Watkins’ goal just after the hour helping Aston Villa get the better of Lille in the Europa League, their Premier League counterparts Nottingham Forest not having the same cause for celebration at the City Ground.
Forest making their way to the Round of 16 after getting the better of Fenerbahce in the playoff round, a pairing with Danish outfit Midtjylland their reward. Vitor Pereira’s men putting their Premier League concerns on pause for another midweek assault in European competition.
One that from a Forest perspective did not go to plan, a total of 22 shots being peppered towards the Midtjylland goal. None of them able to get the better of Elías Rafn Ólafsson – the Icelandic international more than equal to anything sent his way.
While the scores were still equal at 0-0 up until the 80th minute. The pivotal moment on the night, maybe even the pivotal moment in the tie. Cho Gue-Sung the hero for the visitors, his header breaking the deadlock for the visitors.
The South Korean not in the starting eleven but no less of an impact from off the bench. The 28-year-old entering the field of play just before the hour in a switch for Junior Brumado, Mike Tullberg’s men looking more assured once the switch had been made.
That feeling of assuredness growing due to Forest’s growing frustration not to have scored themselves. Elliott Anderson pulling the strings in midfield, but he and his teammates attempts to score could not pull the hosts in front.
Anderson denied before the break, as were fellow Forest counterparts Igor Jesus, Ola Aina and Omari Hutchinson. The common denominator in all of this was the impressive showing of Ólafsson in the Midtjylland goal.
The inability to score would eventually lead to a tactical switch by Forest boss Vitor Pereira. A back three turning into a back four in the second half. Midtjylland having to play deeper in their own half to withstand wave after wave of attack.
Nicolas Dominguez with a notable effort with the scores still at 0-0, teammate Jesus also foiled with the clock ticking. Still enough time for the game to be turned on its head and when you look in the folder named ‘smash and grab’ Midtjylland’s win will be positioned front and centre.
Cho Gue-Sung’s winner only completed half the task for the Danish outfit, and with the number of chances that Forest created at the City Ground, they will be confident of crafting more of the same next week in the return leg
If they can overturn the one-goal deficit and reach the last eight of the competition, a mouthwatering clash with Stuttgart or Porto awaits. If they are to meet either the German or Portuguese outfit, a more ruthless streak will need to be found at the MCH Arena.
