Nottingham Forest Secures Europa League Advantage with 3-0 Win Over Fenerbahçe

Nottingham Forest delivered a commanding performance, defeating Fenerbahçe 3-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Knockout Round Playoffs on February 19, 2026. The victory marks a successful debut for novel manager Vitor Pereira and positions Forest favorably heading into the second leg.

Match Highlights

Murillo opened the scoring for Nottingham Forest in the 21st minute, followed by Igor Jesus at the 43rd minute. Morgan Gibbs-White extended Forest’s lead to 3-0 with a goal in the 50th minute. The match was played at Ulker Stadyumu in Istanbul, Türkiye, with an attendance of 39,840.

Team Lineups

Fenerbahçe

Starting XI: Ederson, Müldür, Oosterwolde, Skriniar, Semedo, Kanté, Guendouzi, Aktürkoglu, Talisca, Asensio, Cherif.

Substitutes: Yigit Demir, Oguz Aydin, Alaettin Ekici, Engin Biterge, Tarik Cetin, Archie Brown.

Nottingham Forest

Starting XI: Ederson, Müldür, Oosterwolde, Skriniar, Semedo, Kanté, Guendouzi, Aktürkoglu, Talisca, Asensio, Cherif.

Substitutes: Not specified in available sources.

Key Statistics

Nottingham Forest dominated possession with 56.7% of the ball compared to Fenerbahçe’s 43.3%. Forest recorded 6 shot attempts to Fenerbahçe’s 23, with 2 shots on goal to Fenerbahçe’s 7. Fenerbahçe received 5 yellow cards, while Forest had none.

Pereira’s Debut

Vitor Pereira’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest proved to be a resounding success. The team’s performance showcased a strong tactical approach and clinical finishing, setting a positive tone for their Europa League campaign. ESPN reported that Pereira enjoyed a “dream start” with the win.

Second Leg Preview

Nottingham Forest will host Fenerbahçe in the second leg at the City Ground on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Forest will aim to complete the job and secure their place in the Europa League last 16, where they could face either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland. Football365 notes that Forest then played Liverpool in the Premier League, losing 1-0 with a 97th-minute goal from Alexis Mac Allister.

Fenerbahçe’s Recent Form

Following the first leg defeat, Fenerbahçe drew 1-1 with Kasimpasa in the Turkish Super Lig on Monday. Marco Asensio scored a late goal in the 95th minute, but it was cancelled out by a 101st-minute equaliser from the visitors. Football365