Nottingham Forest may be fighting for Premier League survival this term but Thursday's trip to Porto for their Europa League quarter-final first leg offers top goalscorer Igor Jesus and his team-mates the chance to put relegation woes to one side as they chase a first continental title in 46 years.
If manager Vitor Pereira seems to be prioritising Forest's top-flight status over their first season in European competition since 1995/96 -- resting several regular starters for their last 16 shoot-out win over Midtjylland -- the Europa League has been the stage Forest have performed best on this season.
kAm%9:D :D ?@ >@C6 ECF6 @7 2?J #65 E92? x8@C y6DFD[ H9@ 2CC:G65 2E E96 r:EJ vC@F?5 7C@> qC2K:=:2? D:56 q@E27@8@ :? E96 4=@D6\D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%96 ad\J62C\@=5 7@CH2C5 92D 7@F?5 E96 ?6E @? ;FDE E9C66 @442D:@?D :? b_ !C6>:6C {628F6 >2E496D E9:D 42>A2:8?[ 3FE 96 92D =:E FA E96 tFC@A2 {628F6 @? %9FCD52J ?:89ED[ D:EE:?8 =6G6= 2D E96 4@>A6E:E:@?VD E@A D4@C6C H:E9 D6G6? 8@2=D]k^Am
kAmQv6EE:?8 E@ E96 7:?2= 2?5 H:??:?8 E96 tFC@A2 {628F6 H@F=5 36 2 5C62> 4@>6 ECF6[ 6DA64:2==J 2D E96 E@A D4@C6C[Q x8@C y6DFD E@=5 &tupVD H63D:E6 @? %F6D52J]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 a_ac r@A2 {:36CE25@C6D H:??6C :D <66?=J 2H2C6 E92E E96:C =2DE\6:89E @AA@?6?ED[ !@CE@[ H:== 36 2 DE6C? E6DE @7 E96:C 4C656?E:2=D]k^Am
kAmQ!@CE@ 92G6 8@E 2 8C62E E62>[Q 96 D2:5] Q%96JVG6 8@E 2 =@E @7 BF2=:EJ] (6VG6 2=D@ 8@E BF2=:EJ] (6 <?@H :E H@?VE 36 2? 62DJ 82>6 \– :? 724E[ :EV== 36 C62==J E@F89] w@H6G6C[ H6VC6 H:==:?8 E@ 7:89E]Qk^Am
kAmx8@C y6DFD 25565 u@C6DE H:== 8@ :?E@ %9FCD52JVD 7:CDE =68 2E E96 tDE25:@ 5@ sC282@ QC62==J 7@4FD65 2?5 =@@<:?8 7@C 2 A@D:E:G6 C6DF=EQ E@ E2<6 9@>6 2?5 5676?5 7@C ?6IE H66<VD D64@?5 =68]k^Am
kAmx7 u@C6DE 2C6 DECF88=:?8 :? `eE9 A=246 :? E96 !C6>:6C {628F6[ E9C66 A@:?ED 23@G6 E96 5C@A K@?6[ !@CE@[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 2C6 D:EE:?8 AC6EEJ 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 !@CEF8F6D6 !C:>6:C2 {:82]k^Am
kAm%96 t?8=:D9 D:56 42? ?@?6E96=6DD 4@>7@CE E96>D6=G6D H:E9 E96 724E E92E E96J 92G6 366? E96 @?=J E62> E@ 362E !@CE@ :? tFC@A6 E9:D E6C> \\ H:??:?8 a\_ 2E 9@>6 @? >2E4952J E9C66 @7 E96 =628F6 A92D6 4@FCE6DJ @7 |@C82? v:33D\(9:E6 2?5 x8@C y6DFD DA@E\<:4<D]k^Am
k9am\ V(2?E >@C6 ?@HV \k^9am
kAmu6==@H !C6>:6C {628F6 @FE7:E pDE@? ':==2 7246 2 5:77:4F=E EC:A E@ r@AA2 xE2=:2 H:??6CD q@=@8?2 :? E96:C BF2CE6C\7:?2= 7:CDE =68]k^Am
kAm(:E9 &?2: t>6CJVD 492C86D 92G:?8 72==6? @77 E96 E:E=6 C246 5@>6DE:42==J[ E96 tFC@A2 {628F6 :D ?@H E96:C @?=J C62=:DE:4 492?46 @7 E2DE:?8 D:=G6CH2C6 E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAmx7 E96C6 :D 2 >2? E@ 8F:56 ':==2 E@ 2 7:CDE EC@A9J D:?46 a__`[ :E :D t>6CJ 2?5 E92E 4@>A6E:E:@? H@F=5 36 E96 tFC@A2 {628F6]k^Am
kAm%96 q2DBF6 92D H@? E96 E@FC?2>6?E 7@FC E:>6D :? 9:D 4@249:?8 42C66C 2?5 92D ?@H 8F:565 ':==2 E@ E9C66 4@?D64FE:G6 BF2CE6C\7:?2= 2AA62C2?46D :? E96 tFC@A2 {628F6 2?5 r92>A:@?D {628F6]k^Am
kAm':==2 42AE2:? y@9? |4v:?? D2:5 27E6C 9:D E62> 3@@<65 E96:C =2DE\6:89E DA@E E9:D E:>6 2C@F?5[ H:E9 2 b\_ 288C682E6 G:4E@CJ @G6C {:==6[ E92E QE96J H2?E >@C6 ?@HQ]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 E@ E2<6 :E @?6 82>6 2E 2 E:>6 2?5 <66A AFD9:?8 @?[ 2== E96 H2J[Q E96 $4@E 25565]k^Am
kAmqFE q@=@8?2[ @? E96 324< @7 5@H?:?8 >@C6\72?4:65 @AA@?6?ED :? #@>2 :? E96 =2DE C@F?5[ 92G6 E96:C 6J6D 7:I65 @? 6?8:?66C:?8 2?@E96C FAD6E]k^Am
kAmQ(6 7246 pDE@? ':==2 282:?[ 2 E62> H6VG6 72465 EH:46 W3@E9 =@DD6DX :? E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D] (6 H:== 36 E96 F?56C5@8D 282:? 3FE H6 H:== ECJ E@ DFCAC:D6 282:?[Q q@=@8?2 3@DD ':?46?K@ xE2=:2?@ D2:5 27E6C E96 d\c 288C682E6 H:?[ H9:49 3@@<65 E96:C DA@E :? E96 =2DE 6:89E]k^Am
kAmx? E96 @E96C BF2CE6C\7:?2= 7:CDE =68D[ {2 {:82VD #62= q6E:D EC2G6= FA E96 x36C:2? !6?:?DF=2 E@ E2<6 @? !@CEF8F6D6 D:56 qC282 @? (65?6D52J[ H9:=6 qF?56D=:82 4=F3 uC6:3FC8 H6=4@>6 $A2?:2C5D r6=E2 ':8@ E96 7@==@H:?8 52J]k^Am
kAmrCJDE2= !2=246VD 9@>6 4=2D9 H:E9 u:@C6?E:?2 :D E96 >@DE 6J6\42E49:?8 @7 E96 &tup r@?76C6?46 {628F6 =2DE 6:89E 7:CDE =68D[ H9:49 H:== 2=D@ E2<6 A=246 @? %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAm#2J@ '2==642?@ H6=4@>6 ptz pE96?D[ &<C2:?6VD $92<9E2C s@?6ED< 9@DE sFE49 D:56 p+ p=<>22C :? E96 !@=:D9 4:EJ @7 zC2<@H 2?5 $EC2D3@FC8 EC2G6= E@ |2:?K :? E96 7:CDE =68D @7 E96 @E96C BF2CE6C\7:?2= E:6D]k^Am
kAm?7^5>4k^Am

