Nottingham Forest’s first European adventure for almost 30 years was supposed to be a hoot but the mood music to a slender defeat in Braga felt rather alarming. The fact is Forest failed to perform and a stale display was typified by the chain of errors that culminated in the captain, Ryan Yates, scoring an own goal that proved sufficient to earn Braga victory. A section of away fans who made the trip to northern Portugal made their feelings plain to Sean Dyche, jeering their players on several occasions and on another singing: “Sideways and backwards, everywhere we go.”
Kick-off at this striking stadium felt a landmark achievement in itself given the biblical rainstorms in the hours before the game, with some of the 2,100 away supporters beginning to fret the main event of their final league-phase trip may not actually take place. But the ominous weather subsided and a formal pre-match pitch inspection was not required. Even Dyche ditched the shorts in favour of a full Forest tracksuit. Forest supporters again travelled in their numbers, hundreds without tickets, and they came hoping this would not be their final European trip of the season.
Forest made seven changes from their encouraging 0-0 draw against Arsenal last weekend and the obvious weakness was in attack. Igor Jesus did not travel to Portugal with his teammates after picking up a knock in training, leaving Forest without an orthodox striker after allowing Arnaud Kalimuendo to depart on loan for Eintracht Frankfurt, while Chris Wood is sidelined after knee surgery and Taiwo Awoniyi ineligible. Forest are pushing through a move for the Napoli forward Lorenzo Lucca, who flew into England on Thursday to finalise a loan switch.
