For Nottingham Forest, and particularly Vítor Pereira and the 1,200 supporters who signed up to this trip, an evening in Istanbul they will not forget in a hurry.
After just three training sessions, Pereira’s first match in charge could scarcely have been more impressive than the statement victory Forest recorded at Fenerbahce to put themselves in command to reach the Europa League last 16. By the end, the yellow and navy stronghold had emptied and the Forest fans present savoured every moment. “Can we play you every week?” they sang, and then: “Where’s your famous atmosphere?”
Evangelos Marinakis’s grand ambition at the outset of this season, before moving on to his fourth manager since August, was to win this competition across the Bosphorus at Besiktas in May and, for all of the chaos and valid criticism, on this evidence it is very much an achievable aim. Forest are in a position of power before Fenerbahce visit for the second leg next Thursday.
For Pereira, who shared beers with Wolves supporters during happier times last season, it was a flask of ginger-infused tea post-match here. The Portuguese tapped his temples as he stressed the overarching factor he felt propelled Forest to victory.
