(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 20 March 2026 8:32, UK

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Nottingham Forest striker Lorenzo Lucca left Midtjylland manager Mike Tullberg admitting that his team couldn’t handle the Italian after his performance on Thursday night.

The Reds won 2-1 away in Denmark in the second leg of their Europa League Last 16 tie, before triumphing in the resulting penalty shootout to progress into the quarter finals.

The hosts missed all three of their spot kicks, while Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare and Neco Williams all converted to set the East Midlands outfit up with a date with Porto in the next round.

Lucca played all 120 minutes of the midweek clash in Denmark, and his performance clearly made a lasting impression on the man in the opposite dugout.

Forest’s Europa League victory should give them some much-needed confidence heading into Sunday’s crunch clash with Tottenham, and Lucca may well have played himself into contention for a starting spot.

Lorenzo Lucca outperforming Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi

Lucca was a crucial focal point for his team on Thursday night, as he provided a threat and a physical presence for his side at both ends of the pitch.

The 25-year-old won 50 per cent of his 12 duels during the 120 minutes, and he also made a valuable four defensive contributions while helping Forest to defend from set pieces.

His performance received significant praise from Tullberg after the game, as he admitted in his post-match interview that “no Danish team could get near” a player like Lucca, while outlining the quality in the Reds’ squad by pointing out that he hasn’t even been playing regularly.

The Italian has largely had to play second fiddle to Igor Jesus since his arrival in January, but that could be about to change as Vitor Pereira’s side enter the final stages of their relegation battle.

Statistics show that Lucca is a bigger goal threat and a better finisher than both Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi, due to the fact that he is the only one of the Forest trio who is currently outperforming his xG in the Premier League.

That shows that Lucca is more likely to make the most of his opportunities in front of goal than either of his counterparts, and he could become a secret weapon for Pereira in the survival fight.

He has already been written off by many people at the City Ground in recent weeks, but desperate times can create unlikely heroes, and the Italian could easily be the man who steps up.

Nottingham Forest fans need to ease off Lucca

Forest fans have hounded Lucca for his performances in recent weeks, and many have already been calling for him to be sent back to his parent club Napoli as quickly as possible.

Heavy criticism towards certain members of the squad has unsurprisingly been commonplace at the City Ground throughout this season, with the likes of Omari Hutchinson also regularly coming under fire from the fanbase.

Frustration from the stands is understandable during a difficult campaign, as fears of the club losing its Premier League status have begun to set in.

However, the upturn in form enjoyed by West Ham in recent weeks is proof alone that unity around the club holds the key to a team bringing their slump at the bottom of the table to an end.

With that in mind, it is crucial in the final weeks of the season that the Forest fans try to instil confidence in the likes of Lucca, who have perhaps struggled a little at times, rather than continuing to tear away at them.