Nottingham Forest vs FC Porto Preview

The City Ground transforms into a fortress of European ambition as Nottingham Forest prepare to welcome FC Porto to the banks of the River Trent for a Europa League encounter that promises to showcase the thrilling unpredictability of continental competition. This storied English venue will witness a captivating clash between Premier League resilience and Portuguese pedigree, where Forest’s hunger for European glory meets Porto’s seasoned continental experience in what could prove to be a defining moment in both clubs’ European campaigns. The Reds enter this monumental fixture carrying the weight of a deeply concerning run of form that has seen them fail to secure a single victory in their last five competitive outings. Nottingham Forest’s alarming sequence includes a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Chelsea that exposed their vulnerabilities against top-tier opposition, while their 2-0 reverse against Newcastle United demonstrated their ongoing struggles to find the cutting edge required at this level. Their 3-2 defeat to FC Midtjylland in Europa League action and narrow 1-0 loss to Sunderland further emphasized their current malaise, though their 2-2 draw with Real Betis showed glimpses of the resilience that could serve them well in European competition.

The Dragons from Porto arrive on English shores riding a wave of impressive form that has seen them secure four victories from their last five competitive encounters across all competitions. FC Porto’s commanding 4-0 triumph over Celoricence in domestic cup action demonstrated their ruthless efficiency in front of goal, while their 2-1 victory against Red Star Belgrade in Europa League competition highlighted their growing confidence on the continental stage. Their comprehensive 4-0 victory over Arouca and narrow 1-0 triumph against RB Salzburg in European action further underlined their tactical versatility, though their goalless draw with Benfica serves as a reminder that they are not invincible against quality opposition.

The historical significance of this encounter is heightened by the complete absence of previous meetings between these two clubs, making this a genuine voyage into uncharted territory for both sets of supporters. This first encounter adds an extra layer of intrigue to proceedings, with neither side able to draw upon past experiences or psychological advantages in what promises to be a tactical battle of contrasting philosophies. The kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT, offering global audiences the opportunity to witness this historic first meeting between English determination and Portuguese sophistication. British fans can access the action through discovery+ and Amazon Prime Video, while German supporters have coverage via RTL+. French viewers can tune in through myCANAL and Canal+ Live 3, and American audiences can watch on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Injuries: Ola Aina and Oleksandr Zinchenko (Nottingham Forest) are both out, while Luuk de Jong (FC Porto) is also ruled out.

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Possible line-ups:

Nottingham Forest (3-4-3)

Sels, Murillo, Morato, Milenkovic, Williams, Sangaré, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Jesus

FC Porto (4-3-3)

Costa, Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Moura, Aghehowa, Varela, Pepê, Veiga, Sainz, Froholdt

🌳 Nottingham Forest Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
❌	Nottingham Forest	0-3	Chelsea	English Premier League	Oct 18, 2025
❌	Newcastle United	2-0	Nottingham Forest	English Premier League	Oct 5, 2025
❌	Nottingham Forest	2-3	FC Midtjylland	Europa League	Oct 2, 2025
❌	Nottingham Forest	0-1	Sunderland	English Premier League	Sep 27, 2025
🤝	Real Betis	2-2	Nottingham Forest	Europa League	Sep 24, 2025

🔵 FC Porto Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Celoricence	0-4	FC Porto	Taça de Portugal	Oct 18, 2025
🤝	FC Porto	0-0	Benfica	Portuguese Primeira Liga	Oct 5, 2025
✅	FC Porto	2-1	Red Star Belgrade	Europa League	Oct 2, 2025
✅	Arouca	0-4	FC Porto	Portuguese Primeira Liga	Sep 29, 2025
✅	RB Salzburg	0-1	FC Porto	Europa League	Sep 25, 2025

⚔️ Head-to-Head Record

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
No previous meetings between these two sides.

📺 TV Listings / Streaming

Country	TV Channel/Streaming
Great Britain	discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports 1
Germany	RTL+
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Live 3
USA	Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, CBS Sports Network
Portugal	Sport TV Multiscreen, Sport TV5
Italy	SKY Go Italia, NOW TV, Sky Sport 253
Netherlands	Ziggo Sport 6
Belgium	Play Sports 4
Norway	Viaplay Norway
Sweden	Disney+