Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest highlights: Visitors resist pressure to claim first-leg draw in Europa League quarter-finals

Nottingham Forest withstood some immense Porto pressure to go back to the City Ground for next week's second leg all-square.

Match in brief: Porto unable to make pressure count

Porto began brightly and could have taken the lead inside a minute, but visiting keeper Stefan Ortega was equal to Terem Moffi’s attempt to find the bottom corner.

The Dragões’ early intensity paid off with a little over ten minutes gone as William Gomes slammed Gabriel Veiga’s defence-splitting delivery high into the Forest goal to cap an incisive passing move from the hosts.

The visitors were level in bizarre fashion barely 180 seconds later when Martim Fernandes’ back pass eluded his skipper Diogo Costa in the Porto goal and rolled into the net.

William Gomes pounced to open the scoringGetty Images

Francesco Farioli’s men carved out another opportunity shortly before half-time, with the lively Moffi’s glancing header testing Ortega, but once again, the Forest custodian foiled the Nigerian international.

The Primeira Liga side appeared the most likely to craft a winner in the second period, with goalscorer Gomes sending a low drive just wide of the upright following a surging run from the right wing soon after the interval, and also forcing the busy Ortega into a fine one-handed stop via a left-footed curler.

Both sides made attacking changes and it was Farioli's replacements who nearly paid dividends, with Dragons subs Pepê and Victor Froholdt linking up well, only for the Danish international to send his strike flashing across the face of goal.

Carlos Machado, reporting from Estádio do Dragão

All to play for in Nottingham, as Forest managed to hold a Porto side who were unable to make their superiority in the contest count. The hosts began brightly, but the own goal knocked the Dragons' flow and helped the Premier League side gain a foothold in the contest.

Reaction

Francesco Farioli, Porto coach, to UEFA: "We are a bit frustrated as we could have had a two or three-goal advantage to take to Nottingham. Facing a side of this level, we dominated the game, so we have many good things to consider."

William Gomes, Porto attacker, to UEFA on his goal: "I think it’s a really well-rehearsed move that we manage to pull off every time. We train with those passes a lot, we work on the wingers and the midfielders, and I was in the right place at the right time."

Ryan Yates, Nottingham Forest captain, to TNT Sports: "I thought it was a really tactical game. They had spells on the ball, we had to be disciplined, defensively well-organised. I think the first ten minutes it took us a little bit to get into it, but I think it was a fair result in the end."

Vitor Pereira, Nottingham Forest head coach, speaking to TNT Sports: "Porto playing at home are a strong team and they are in good momentum. I think we did well. The players tried everything to be organised, to create something. In the end, 1-1 is a good result. And we'll see what we can do playing at home."

Key stats

• Nottingham Forest became the first visiting team to stop Porto from winning at the Estádio do Dragão in the Europa League this season.
• Forest have suffered just one defeat in their seven European away fixtures in this campaign.
• Francesco Farioli's men extended their unbeaten run in this competition to eight matches, since their 2-0 Matchday 3 loss versus Forest at the City Ground.
• William Gomes struck his fourth goal of this Europa League campaign to become the Dragões' leading marksman in the competition this term, opening the scoring on each occasion.

Line-ups

Porto: Diogo Costa; Martim Fernandes (Alberto Costa 19), Thiago Silva, Bednarek, Zaidu; Fofana (Varela 74), Rosario, Gabriel Veiga (Froholdt 58); Sainz (Pepê 58), Moffi (Deniz Gül 58), William Gomes

Nottingham Forest: Ortega; Domínguez, Abbott, Murillo (Milenković 46), Morato; McAtee (Sangaré 74), Yates, Gibbs-White (Hutchinson 60); Bakwa (Williams 60), Wood (Igor Jesus 46), Ndoye