Nottingham Forest were left to rue a series of missed chances as FC Midtjylland snatched a narrow victory in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie at the City Ground.

The Premier League side controlled large spells of the match despite brutal conditions in Nottingham, where torrential rain and strong winds turned the contest into a battle of resilience. Elliot Anderson was at the heart of Nottingham Forest’s attacking play, dictating the tempo in midfield and repeatedly carving open opportunities for the hosts.

However, FC Midtjylland goalkeeper Elias Olafsson produced a standout performance, frustrating the home side with a string of confident saves that kept the Danish visitors firmly in the game.

After the break, the pressure from Nottingham Forest intensified. Ola Aina came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, only to see his effort deflect off teammate Morgan Gibbs-White at the crucial moment. At the other end, FC Midtjylland nearly struck on the counterattack when a powerful attempt from Byskov rattled the crossbar.

As the match entered its closing stages, the hosts continued to waste opportunities — and they were made to pay. In one of the visitors’ rare attacking moves, South Korean forward Cho Gue-sung found space inside the penalty area and powered home a decisive header from a pinpoint cross.

The late strike sealed a 1–0 away win for FC Midtjylland, leaving Nottingham Forest with a difficult task ahead in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League tie.

2025-26, Europa League

Nottingham Forest - FC Midtjylland 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: Cho Gue-sung, 80 (0:1)

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Morato F. (Williams N., 46); Murillo; Jair Cunha (Milenković, 9); Aina (Bakwa, 82); Hudson-Odoi; Anderson E.; Gibbs-White; Dominguez N. (Sangaré I., 69); Hutchinson; Igor Jesus (Lucca L., 69)
Substitution: Milenković (from 9); Williams N. (from 46); Sangaré I. (from 69); Lucca L. (from 69); Bakwa (from 82)
Bench: Gunn; Abbott; Yates; Mcatee
Yellow Cards: Morato F. 33

FC Midtjylland: Olafsson E.; Diao O.; Erlic; Bech Sorensen; Mbabu (Han-beom Lee, 60); Bak; Bravo; Castillo D. (Byskov, 46); Billing; Şimşir (Uhre, 57); Brumado (Cho Gue-sung, 57)
Substitution: Byskov (from 46); Cho Gue-sung (from 57); Uhre (from 57); Han-beom Lee (from 60)
Bench: Lössl; Ugboh; Gabriel A.; Chilufy; Junior Zé