Ange Postecoglou remains without a win as Nottingham Forest boss after his new side fell to a 3-2 defeat against Midtjylland in their first European home game since March 1996.
A cacophony of noise greeted Forest and Midtjylland when they emerged for the first European game in almost 30 years at the City Ground.
That fever-pitch atmosphere spurred Forest on to make a dominant start, but some wastefulness in the final third was indicative of a side who were still searching for their first win under Postecoglou.
Their attacking shortcomings were then punished in brutal fashion by their Danish visitors midway through the first half. A free-kick proved to be their undoing against Sunderland at the weekend, and Forest fell behind to another this evening, as Mads Sorensen Bech flicked on Aral Simsir’s delivery and Ousmane Diao was on hand to prod home at the far post.
The response to falling behind was mightily impressive from Postecoglou’s men, who twice forced Elias Rafn Olafsson into action when Dan Ndoye and Nikola Milenkovic’s efforts needed turning away for corners.
It didn’t take them too much longer to find a way past Olafsson, as Morgan Gibbs-White broke in behind and squared for Ndoye to tap in from a matter of yards.
That goal lifted the roof off the City Ground, but it was firmly back on two minutes later when Midtjylland restored their advantage. Few inside the ground were surprised that it came from another set piece, this time from a corner, as Martin Erlic’s initial header was well saved by Matz Sels before his centre-back partner Bech poked home the rebound.
There was a renewed belief about Forest’s game when they emerged after the break, but despite wave after wave of attack, creating the clear-cut chance they needed to get back on level terms was proving problematic.
The home faithful were growing restless at their side’s distinct lack of invention in the final third, which is something not typically associated with a Postecoglou side.
The hosts did eventually find what they thought was the breakthrough when Neco Williams’ initial effort was saved by Olafsson, and after it fell kindly to Elliot Anderson, he squared for substitute Chris Wood to tap into an empty net, but Anderson had strayed well offside in the build-up.
Wood couldn’t quite believe his luck as just two minutes later, he had the ball in the back of the net again, but once again, an offside in the lead-up cut short Forest’s celebrations.
Forest continued to probe for a leveller, but ultimately came up short, being picked off in the closing stages when a lightning-quick counter-attack from the Danes was finished off by Valdemar Andreasen, who slid home beneath a desperate Sels dive.
Chants of “sacked in the morning” from the Forest fans show the kind of pressure Postecoglou finds himself under ahead of their weekend clash with Newcastle, and not even a late consolation goal from the penalty spot from Wood could ease the heat on him.
The evening belonged to Midtjylland, who have now won four European away games in a row.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mads Sorensen Bech (Midtjylland)
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