Forest Fire Through

Midtjylland 1-2 Nottingham Forest (UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg) *0-3 pens aet

Mid-Jutland is the central section of Denmark's largest peninsula. Translated to Midtjylland in Danish, the area is home to a team that was only founded as recently as 1999 when both Ikast FS and Herning Fremad joined forces.

Based in Herning, Midtjylland are the region's formidable force and are one to be reckoned with amongst Europe's elite, having spent the last 25 years in the Superliga winning four titles and two Danish Cups along the way. In fact, almost adding more to that, they have four failed attempts as cup runners up and six second place finishes in the championship too.

A mighty force, created from two lowly ranked rivals to gift the region something to celebrate in soccer, they have been doing well in Europe in recent years but have never reached a quarter finals, they have however twice beaten Nottingham Forest this season already.

I was at the game last week where they rode their luck at times and nicked a late goal to take a 1-0 advantage back home for the second leg at the MCH arena, and I'm here tonight as I get my first Forest away day gig of their Euro excursion, a match which might be their last on the continent for some time.

It's been a difficult season for Reds fans (like me). Forest have a must not lose game against relegation rivals Tottenham on Sunday and are only just keeping their heads above the Premier League water levels which are rising every time West Ham United pick up points, they have done ok in Europe so far and a continued run is not to be sniffed at, despite seeking domestic safety number one priority.

It's a long old journey for me, I'm flying from Bristol Airport to Copenhagen where I pick up a hire car from a lovely Swedish lady at Budget and I cross country with a three hour journey west, the stunning Storebaeltsbroen the highlight, the Great Belt Bridge (in English) connects Zealand with the Danish mainland, crossing the sea between Halsskov and Nyborg before I head on past Odense and North towards Herning on the E20 and E45.

The Venue

I've arrived at a hotel in the sleepy town of Lind just five minutes drive from the ground, so after a quick freshen up and bit of relaxation I'm back out and pulling into the MCH Arena a good hour and half before kick off. Already busy with fans the car park is huge and free to park, you feel it has more spaces than the stadium probably has seats, it's a brilliant set up, modern, sleek, efficient, clean and fresh, the sky is clear, blue, it's been a sunny afternoon but there's a real nip in the air.

After a quick look around the clubs superstore I'm meeting a guy from UEFA who gives me my matchday pass, leading me directly to my seat, the commentary positions are at the back of a small but steep seated stand which is lined by glass windows and a huge corporate section which I later get to enjoy with a few free beers courtesy of a couple of rowdy Forest fans who have somehow snuck in.

I'm nicely perched on a comfy padded seat with a great view on half way. Radio Nottingham have been shoved down the other side with Colin Fray and James Perch ready for action, Talk sport and TNT are here, Joe Hart is having selfies with fans, he's doing co-comms for the TV.

The stadium itself is fabulous, bowl like square edged with all stands connected it looks larger but apparently only holds 12,000. The Forest fans in the far corner of the stand to my left, opposite end is the home team hardcore dressed in black, already bouncing and loudly banging no doubt the same drum that was in Nottingham last week. Opposite me is a fabulous high stand again with corporate facility, the floodlights either side retro looking huge metal rectangular pylons.

The Game

The two teams appear from beneath as the home fans unveil a huge tifo behind the goal, Midtjylland in red and black, Forest in an off white cream number which looks very classy. Vitor Pereira has shuffled his pack with a much changed side from the one that drew with Fulham on Sunday, at least eight of his usual starting XI are rested, but with Lorenzo Lucca, Dilane Bakwa and James McAtee given a chance to shine, it's an attacking line-up skippered by Ryan Yates, and it's he who almost puts Forest in the lead after a bright start, getting on the end of a lovely curved McAtee pass to volley against the crossbar and over.

The away side look physically bigger in personnel than they did in the first leg when they were outdone by size and they go close following a corner which is headed back across goal, Morato's prod eventually cleared off the line by Billing, before Lucca blazes over from close range when he should have done better, but finally Forest's persistence pays off, a short corner headed back across goal by Milenkovic looped in by the nod of Dominguez, Midtjylland XG at half time is 0.01 as Forest go into the break deserving of their lead.

The Score

At times Mike Tullberg shouting on the touchline is clearly infuriated with his team's play and he makes a couple of heated changes at the break. The Wolves have been organised and have a couple of real classy players, Bravo, Castillo, Osorio, especially, but Forest are stronger and continue to push forward for a second as Ryan Yates who's been brilliant takes aim from twenty yards, left footed, falling back, he rifles one in on the stretch and stretches the Reds lead to give them aggregate advantage in the tie. The Forest fans go bonkers.

The lead however doesn't last long, Midtjylland respond as big defender Erlic is still up top from a set play, as the ball is pumped into the box it rebounds into his path and he smashes home an unstoppable strike past Ortega, Coldplay comes over the tannoy with the sound of Wolves howling as the home fans decibel levels leap up to silence of those in Garibaldi corner.

With the tie deadlocked the remainder of the 90 is cagey as neither dares lose from here, Ortega does deny Cho with a great save but the remaining ten or fifteen are uneventful and we enter a dreaded extra half hour before the inevitable penalties.

In fairness extra time is good, Forest by now have their foothold in forward thinking and late on Ryan Yates looks to have won it when he heads home in front of the away following. I'm up punching the air to be told Yates is offside. A VAR check confirms and we are down to penalty kicks.

You can feel the tension in the stadium as both teams group together as players pep talk each other ahead of the shootout, Forest go first, Gibbs-White scores, Cho up second, he hits a post.

The third penalty is calmly scored by Sangare but Aral Simsir hits a post with his effort for Midtjylland, Neco Williams puts Forest three up and Edward Chilufya steps up to save the match. He only came on in extra time and runs up to the ball before slipping, the leather sphere probably landing in the car park at my hotel, it's the easiest penalty shootout win I've ever watched.

The Stars

Forest will have a lot of positives from their performance and in their captain Ryan Yates they don't only have an ambassador but a great servant who is willing to give 110% every time he plays.

Yates hasn't played much football recently but cruised through 120 minutes which is testament to his fitness levels and mindset. Others who did well included the big defender Morato, who I was very judgemental about the week previous, whilst Dilane Bakwa, one who's looked so out of sorts since signing for Forest in the summer, he had a few positive moments, hopefully there's still a future for him under Pereira.

For Midtjylland they have a lot of good footballers that the Premier League should look at. I really like the right sided centre half Ousmane Diao whilst in midfield Pedro Bravo is real talent with panache and pedigree.

It was good to see Denil Castillo play well, a gritty midfielder with athleticism and a super engine, he wasn't great in the first leg, looked better in the second, he looks destined for big things and like Bravo is aged just 21.

The Verdict

Nottingham Forest will be relieved to get through a sticky tie but attention now draws to more pressing stuff in the league. The question all Forest fans are being asked right now, would you take winning the Europa League over relegation? Success, or survival?

No fears of falling for Midtjylland who remind me a little of Brentford, well run, friendly, organised, Danish owned like the Bees, similar size in stature with a quirky little home, they certainly punch well above their weight. Stick them in the Premier League and I have no question that these boys could certainly hold their own.

Midtjylland: Elias Olafsson, Ousmane Diao (Adam Gabriel 91), Martin Erlic, Mads Bech Sorensen, Victor Bak, Philip Billing (Aral Simsir 46), Pedro Bravo, Denil Castillo, Valdemar Byskov (Han Beom-Lee 46), Dario Osorio (Edward Chilufya 103), Junior Brumado (Cho Gue-Sung 56).

Nottingham Forest: Stefan Ortega, Zach Abbott, Nikola Milenkovic (Murillo 61), Morato, Dan Ndoye (Neco Williams 61), Ryan Yates, Nico Dominguez (Ibrahim Sangare 91), Dilane Bakwa (Ola Aina 75), Omari Hutchinson (Morgan Gibbs-White 61), James McAtee (Elliot Anderson 75), Lorenzo Lucca.

6:45pm Kick Off. Thursday 20th March 2027, MCH Arena, Herning (att 10,554).