Credit: Imago

Jack Dawson

Fri 10 April 2026 7:30, UK

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Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 with Porto on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.

It was a good result on paper for the Reds. However, many of their stars clearly had a poor match.

Stefan Ortega was called upon multiple times and was the reason why Forest managed to stay in the tie as they prepare for the second leg next week.

One of the weaker performances came from Ryan Yates, as he struggled to hold down the midfield.

Now, Forest may have a serious issue with their captain, as he continues to underperform.

Ryan Yates struggles against Porto

Yates has rarely featured for Forest in recent months. The midfield has often been used as an impact sub in the Premier League and then used as a starter in the Europa League.

However, against Porto, he was exposed, as he struggled to maintain control of the middle of the park.

According to Fotmob on 9 April, he only created one chance, was dispossessed twice, won zero ground duels, was dribbled past once and only won 33 per cent of his aerial duels.

If this continues, it could have a serious impact on Forest’s Europa League campaign and could see them eliminated from the competition.

Porto are unlikely to miss the same amount of chances again, or gift Forest an equaliser; therefore, the club needs everyone on form.

Vítor Pereira pays tribute to another immense backing from the fans following his side’s 1-1 draw at FC Porto. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/E36BFxpoH6

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 9, 2026

As a result, Yates may need to be dropped or the East Midlands side could soon find themselves out of Europe.

Europa League victory could have massive financial impact on Forest

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson stated that the Europa League could have a massive financial boost for Forest.

No matter if the clubs stay up or are relegated from the Premier League, they are set to lose a considerable amount in prize money compared to last season due to their position in the table.

However, this could be balanced out by their progress in the Europa League, and if they were to win it, they would receive even more prize money and Champions League football.

While Forest are not the favourites for the trophy, they have put themselves in a great position to reach the semi-finals thanks to their recent draw in Portugal.