Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland: Danish Side Win 1-0 in Europa League Round of 16 First Leg — Cho Gue-sung Header Seals It

Nottingham Forest's winless run extended to five matches on Thursday after Midtjylland stole a 1-0 victory at the City Ground in a stormy UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg. A late Cho Gue-sung header in the final ten minutes gave the Danish side a vital lead heading into next week's second leg in Denmark.

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Midtjylland: Full Match Report

Less than three minutes were on the clock when Philip Billing delivered a cross to the back post for Junior Brumado, but his header was denied by a vital Murillo clearance. Despite seeing Jair Cunha forced off injured, the hosts recovered from that early scare and soon started to unleash shots on the Midtjylland goal, albeit from long range.

Omari Hutchinson was first to threaten when he forced a smart save from Elias Olafsson before the Midtjylland goalkeeper could only spill Ola Aina's effort into Igor Jesus' path, but the Brazilian failed to turn the rebound on target.

The home side could not find a way past goalkeeper Elias Rafn Olafsson, who made a string of saves to keep it goalless at the break. Severe weather conditions in the second half then became an obstacle that both sides had to play through, with heavy rain and swirling winds making conditions extremely difficult.

How Midtjylland Scored the Winner

Driving rain and swirling wind presented a huge obstacle to both sets of players, and though Forest looked to be handling the deteriorating conditions better, Midtjylland nearly applied a sucker punch when half-time substitute Valdemar Andreasen forced Matz Sels into a smart save before hitting the bar from the subsequent corner.

As puddles started to form on the City Ground pitch, Forest's attacking impetus seemed to dry up. That left them vulnerable at the other end, and Midtjylland made them pay by snatching a lead in the final 10 minutes. Ousmane Diao's deep cross from the inside right was perfect for Cho Gue-sung, who shrugged off Aina's challenge and headed into the bottom corner.

Match Stats: Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland

Nottingham Forest Starting Lineup and Injuries

Nottingham Forest lined up with Matz Sels in goal, Nuno Williams, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, and Ola Aina across the back four, with Ibrahim Sangaré and Elliot Anderson in central midfield, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Omari Hutchinson in attacking midfield, and Igor Jesus leading the line. Jair Cunha was forced off early due to injury.

Nottingham Forest's last defeat to Midtjylland came under former boss Ange Postecoglou, but the recent appointment of Vítor Pereira was unable to stop the same outcome from happening — Midtjylland beating Forest at the City Ground for the second time this Europa League season.

What Nottingham Forest Need in the Second Leg

Forest accumulated 22 shots through the game but could not beat Olafsson. The result stretched their winless run to five games in all competitions as they switch attention back to their Premier League relegation fight on Sunday against Fulham before trying to change their European fortunes next Thursday in Denmark.

Midtjylland are yet to lose at home in any competition this season, making the second leg at MCH Arena in Herning on March 19 an extraordinarily difficult task for Forest. To advance on aggregate, Nuno's side must win by at least two clear goals in Denmark — a venue where the hosts have been virtually unbeatable all campaign.

Europa League Round of 16 First Leg Results — Thursday March 12

The second leg between Midtjylland and Nottingham Forest takes place on Thursday, March 19, at 1:45 PM ET at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, streaming on Paramount+ in the United States.