Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Porto – Morgan Gibbs-White the hero, Igor Jesus underwhelming
Nottingham Forest progressed into the Europa League semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 victory over Porto on Thursday.
It was the perfect start for the Reds when Jan Bednarek was sent off after a VAR check for a reckless challenge on Chris Wood.
The hosts soon took advantage, and Morgan Gibbs-White put Forest ahead 12 minutes in thanks to a deflected strike.
From here, the host had a wealth of chances to go further ahead, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Nonetheless, they managed to see the rest of the game out to secure a memorable Forest victory.
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VISIT THE FOREST MATCH HUBMorgan Gibbs-White the difference maker vs Porto
After a dreadful game against Porto in the first-leg, Gibbs-White really turned it on at the City Ground.
In the centre of the park, he was dominant, with the visitors struggling to contain him throughout.
| Morgan Gibbs-White’s stats vs Porto | |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Goals | 1 |
| xG | 0.16 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Passing accuracy | 90% |
While he perhaps got fortunate with the opener, it came at the right time, as he pounced on the shock of the red card to give Forest an early lead.
From here, he continued to be the catalyst in attack, and his runs caused Porto all kinds of problems.
Hopefully, these types of displays can continue both in the Premier League and Europa League until the end of the season.
Igor Jesus struggles to find the net for Nottingham Forest
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Forest were tracking a replacement for Jesus, and off this performance, it is no surprise.
Coming on for the injured Wood, Jesus was presented with a wealth of chances to put the game to bed for the hosts.
Through to the @EuropaLeague semi-finals! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QnFpjwBbuO
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 16, 2026
Yet, every time he failed to convert, with his missed header in the first half being particularly disappointing.
While he was unlucky with some chances, in an important game like this, Forest needed Jesus to step up, something he failed to achieve.
Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Porto
- Stefan Ortega – 6/10
- Neco Williams – 8/10
- Murillo – 7/10
- Jair Cunha – 7/10
- Ola Aina – 7/10
- Nicolas Dominguez – 7/10
- Ibrahim Sangare – 7/10
- Dan Ndoye – 6/10
- Morgan Gibbs-White – 8/10
- Omari Hutchinson – 6/10
- Chris Wood – n/a
Substitutes
- Igor Jesus (on for Wood, 16’) – 5/10
- Callum Hudson-Odoi (on for Hutchinson, 46’) – n/a
- Nikola Milenkovic (on for Ndoye, 65’) – n/a
- Morato (on for Murillo, 72’) – n/a
- Dilane Bakwa (on for Hudson-Odoi, 72’) – n/a
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