Match Day LIVE
Match Day 3.
Uefa Europa Cup ,2025/2026 .
Nothingham Forest vs Porto of Portugal.
Venue – City Ground , Nothingham Forest .
Date -October 23 , 2025 .
Time – 8 pm . UK
The City Ground will be agog and amidst pomp and circumstance when the Tricky Trees , Nothingham Forest , welcomes the Portuguese giants ,FC Porto of Portugal to the City Ground on Match Day three of the Europa Cup of 2025/2026 campaign .
Forest still searching for their first win in Europa this season will have a big mountain to cross , even with their home advantage against a tactically superior Porto , who have almost 100% record so far in the league stage of this year’s campaign.
Smarting from another Managerial change within six months , Forest sacked their Australian born Coach , Ange Postucoglou barely 39 days after employing him after a heavy defeat to Chelsea 3-0 ,at the City last weekend , , he took over from Nuno Espirito Santo , who suffered the same faith , at the end of last season , ,controversial club owner Evangelis Marinakis did not waste time to show them the exit door, this is within a space of six months .
Ange was brutally relieved of his post barely 18 minutes after losing to the Blues 3-0 , with his miserable winless reign lasting only a month and nine days , with no win , lost 6 and drew two and this is shortest period of any permanent Premiership Manager in the history of the English Premsiehip .
From hero to Villain , Ange took Spurs to the finals of last seasons Europa and won against clueless Man United , in an all English finals , then being sacked by another Premiership outfit for inactivity , just some few months ago .
Not comfortable with five points from this year’s campaign , and sitting at the bottom wrung of the EPL , the management recruited former youth team player , Sean Dyche to take charge of the team till 2027 football season
Dyche has been out of job since January after being relieved of his duties at Goodisson Park , Everton . he has added Forest fan favorite , Ian Woan and Steve Stone with their immediate task is to stop the rut at City ground and move the club go forward to familier greener pastures
Forest have not won their last 10 matches , drawing three and lost seven and have not won any match after their Premiership opener against Brentford who they humbled 3-1.
Within this period , the Tricky Trees have picked up just one point from their last two games in the league phase of the Europa Cup this season with a 2-2 against Real Betis and a home loss 3-2 against Mitylland .
Apart from the qualifiers , the new Manager is warming for his first ever European Cup match and is also prepared to give a good account of himself tonight from the dugout for his team who have not won their last four matches in all competitions at the City Ground .as well as failing to score in three of them .
Right now , Forest found themselves down in the dumps , but it’s not same with their opponents , Porto who are in high spirits and an impressive start of this campaign with 10 wins and a draw , scoring two or more goals in eight of the games .
Francisco Fariolis Portuguese side sits three points clear of the premierra Liga .
Porto have been impressive in all competitions this season , though they played out a stalemate , goalless draw with rivals ,Benfica just before the International break , but pummelled fourth tier outfit, Celoricense 4-0 at away in the Taca de Liga third round last weekend .
Their star striker , Samu Aghehowa scored a 10 minutes hattrick to increase his goal tally this season to nine from nine games., though he has not scored in the Europa Cup this campaign, when Porto beat Red Bull Salzburg , 2+0 and Red Star Belgrade ,2-1 . in their two games .
With their impressive running form this season , Porto hopes to increase their wins to a third back to back since 2012/2013 season , they will fancy their chances as they meet the English club with another successful outing , having already won their last six away games with an aggregate of 16-1,
The Odds slightly favours the the Tricky Trees , with the fact that Porto have not been impressive with English opposition , only coming out on top in 10 out of 49 games , ,drew 12 , lost 27, with their only win in 24 games , coming against Chelsea in April , 2021 , 1-0, in the champions league qualifiers .
So if history will repeat itself with the odds against them with English teams , Nothingham Forest may pull a surprise upset to stun the visitors this evening at the City Ground .
Forest s only injury problem is with Nigerian International , Ola Aina who had a hamstring injury in his last match for Nigeria during a World Cup Qualifier against South Africa .while Taiwo Awoniyi , Omar Hutchinson , Jair Cunha and Angus Gunn are all ineligible and left out of the Europa Squad , due to lack of games and inactivity .
Their back five defensive formation against Chelsea proved to be a mistake and costly , as the flat footed rear men of Forest could not stop the rampaging attacking prowess of the Blues and they lost and conceded 3-0 unreplied goals from the Blues despite the Londoners playing 10 men for the better part of the game against Forest 11 men.
Dyche may reverse the playing formation to a four man rear guard ,which will make way for a more defensive minded player , Morato coming together with Captain Ryan Yates manning the engine room / midfield pack in this explosive encounter , at the expense of Douglas Luix or Ibrahim Sangare while Chris Wood who played under Dyche at Burnley will vie for a starting shirt with Igor Jesus , Dan Ndoye and Callum Hudson Odio .
Slightly same story with the visitors , Porto with injury worries and outright ineligibility of some of their players tonight . with players like Luuk de Yong and Nehuen Perez still sidelined , while Tomas Perez and Yann Karamoh are not eligible due to inactivity and lack of games and are left out of the Europa Cup squad .
Porto s possible best side should be made up of former Southampton defender ,Jan Bednarek , together with Arsenal loanee , Jakub Kiwor , Alberto Costa and Francisco Moura as she rear guard against Forest
Alain Varela , Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt are to spear head the engine room or mid field pack .
Star striker Samu Aghehowa wil lead the attacking options for the Portuguese giants and will be partnered with former Noreich City play maker , or a Sainz and Brazilian Pepe to complete quartet against Nothingham Forest .
Predictions
Sean Dyche to be sincere may have to wait a little longer for a win in his first match as the new Manager , but not with this type of Portuguese opposition , unless by sheer lock , I dont see Forest creating any problem for the goal hungry and vastly experienced Porto ,from not coming out with a straight win against the minnows in European football.
Though , Dyche may have a good idea to implement for a win , but I don’t see him do that in today’s hostilities he may need to wait a little longer for a win , , past records of English opposition against the Portuguese sides not withstanding .
Nothingham Forest 0- 2 Or 2-1 .
Happy Viewing and Happy Europa Cup matches .
Uche Anaba .
Uchefreetips 2025 (C).
Email -ucheanaba@gmail.com
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https://worldbeatx.com/
