Credit: Imago

Jack Dawson

Thu 16 April 2026 22:22, UK

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Keith Hackett has agreed with the decision to send off Jan Bednarek in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 victory over Porto on Thursday.

It was a fantastic night for the Reds as they progressed into the Europa League semi-finals relatively simply.

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal of the game in what was a dominant performance from the hosts.

However, it could have gone completely differently, with Bednarek being sent off early on for a reckless challenge on Chris Wood.

Nevertheless, Hackett believes that the decision was the right one, as Forest earned a memorable win.

Keith Hackett: Referee right to send off Jan Bednarek vs Nottingham Forest

Within the opening exchanges, Wood and Bednarek both attempted to get control of a loose ball that was flying through the air.

Both players proceeded to raise their legs, but the Porto star would then make contact with Wood’s ankle, causing him to go down in pain.

While the referee did not initially give a card for a challenge, VAR recommended that he review the footage, which eventually led to Bednarek being sent off.

Upon examining the challenge, Hackett has exclusively told Football Insider that the decision was the right one.

Jan Bednarek sees red after a challenge on Chris Wood inside the first 10 minutes of the quarter-final ❌

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He said: “Referee in a good position to see the challenge and correct to issue a red card for serious foul play.

“High late and into the player studs showing. Certainly reckless with excessive force.”

Nottingham Forest take a step closer to Champions League football

Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson has told Football Insider that Nottingham Forest could mitigate their drop in Premier League prize money by winning the Europa League this season.

There is no question that their domestic campaign has been concerning, with the Reds still having the potential to get relegated.

As a result, their Premier League prize money is set to take a substantial hit compared to last season.

Nevertheless, if they can go all the way in the Europa League, this is likely to be forgotten, as the club would qualify for Champions League football.

However, it remains to be seen if they are able to achieve this, as they now face a tricky semi-final against Aston Villa later this month, as they hope to lift the trophy.