Europa League quarter-final second leg: Nottingham Forest vs Porto facts

The UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie between two former European champions is in the balance as Nottingham Forest welcome Porto to the City Ground for the second leg.

Williams Gomes gave Porto an 11th-minute lead at Estádio do Dragão on 9 April, but a Martim Fernandes own goal two minutes later levelled for Forest with neither side able to find a second goal.

Forest prevailed on penalties after their round of 16 tie with Midtjylland had finished 2-2 on aggregate (0-1 h, 2-1 a aet, 3-0 pens). They had defeated Fenerbahçe 4-2 in the knockout phase play-offs (3-0 a, 1-2 h) after a 13th-place finish in the league phase that yielded 14 points.

Porto were 4-1 aggregate winners against Stuttgart in the round of 16 (2-1 a, 2-0 h) following a fifth-place finish in the league phase, where they collected 17 points.

Last match

The teams met on Matchday 3 in the league phase – their only previous fixture before the first leg – penalties from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus giving Forest a 2-0 win at the City Ground on 23 October.

Aside from their Matchday 3 success against Porto, a 0-1 defeat at Braga on Matchday 7 this season is Forest's only other encounter with a Portuguese team.

Porto have just two wins from their last 15 meetings with English teams (D3 L10), their last victory 1-0 against Arsenal in the first leg of a 2023/24 UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie they would eventually lose 2-4 on penalties.

Porto have never beaten a Premier League team in England, where their record is D3 L20. They have scored just once in their last 11 visits (D1 L10), conceding 23 goals.

The Portuguese club are without a win in their last eight UEFA Cup/Europa League matches against English teams (D3 L5).

Porto have lost their last eight two‑legged European ties against English teams, since their 3-2 aggregate victory over Manchester United in the 2003/04 Champions League round of 16 (2-1 h, 1-1 a).

Nottingham Forest

This is Forest's first season in European competition for 30 years, with their last entry – the 1995/96 UEFA Cup – concluding with a 2-7 aggregate quarter-final defeat against eventual winners Bayern München. Their last success in a European quarter‑final came in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup, when they defeated Sturm Graz 2-1 on aggregate (1-0 h, 1-1 a aet).

Back-to-back European Cup winners in 1978/79 (1-0 vs Malmö) and 1979/80 (1-0 vs Hamburg), Forest also claimed the UEFA Super Cup in 1979 with a 2-1 aggregate defeat of Barcelona (1-0 h, 1-1 a).

Porto

Porto were Europa League winners in 2010/11, Radamel Falcao's goal giving them a 1-0 final victory against domestic rivals Braga in Dublin. It was their second UEFA Cup/Europa League triumph, having beaten Celtic 3-2 after extra time in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup final in Seville.

The Portuguese side also lifted the European Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1987, and the Champions League in 2004.

This is Porto's fifth UEFA Cup/Europa League quarter‑final appearance (W2 L2). Their most recent was a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Sevilla in 2013/14 (1-0 h, 1-4 a), while their last success at this stage was a 10-3 aggregate win over Spartak Moskva in 2010/11 (5-1 h, 5-2 a).

Key stats

Forest have lost only three of their last 11 Europa League matches (W6 D2).

The English club have won 18 of their 23 two-legged European ties.

Forest lost the home leg in their two previous knockout phase ties in this season's Europa League.

The Nottingham side have won two and lost one of three previous European ties after a first-leg draw. This is the first time they have played a second leg at home following a draw in the first game away.

Porto are unbeaten in eight Europa League matches (W5 D3), winning three in a row before the first-leg draw against Forest.

The Dragons have opened the scoring in the first half in each of their three knockout phase matches this season.

The Portuguese club have lost all four European quarter-finals since beating Spartak Moskva in 2011.