IMAGE: Nottingham Forest’s players celebrate after Morgan Gibbs-White scored the first goal against Porto during the Europa League match at The City Ground, Nottingham, on Thursday. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Nottingham Forest handed manager Sean Dyche the perfect debut with a 2-0 home win over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, with both goals coming from the penalty spot as the hosts ended a run of 10 games without victory.
Danish club Midtjylland, who beat Forest in their last game, continued their perfect run with a 3-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, AS Roma fell to a second successive loss in a 2-1 defeat to Viktoria Plzen and Celtic came from behind to beat Sturm Graz.
Dyche replaced the sacked Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday to become the club’s third manager this campaign, and led Forest to their first win since the opening day of the season, along with their first clean sheet since April.
Forest began at a high tempo, and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s powerful curling shot was parried away by the keeper, but it was a handball by Jan Bednarek which allowed the hosts to take a 19th minute lead.
IMAGE: Igor Jesus scores Nottingham Forest’s second goal from the penalty spot. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Morgan Gibbs-White made no mistake from the spot in the 19th minute and Forest began to sit back, looking to hit Porto on the break.
The visitors had their first shot on target seven minutes before the break when Alan Varela’s effort from distance was saved by Matz Sels at full stretch.
Bednarek thought he had made up for giving away the penalty when he found the net shortly after the interval, but the goal was ruled out for offside, as Porto pinned Forest back in their own half for long periods.
A second penalty 13 minutes from time was converted by Igor Jesus to calm the nerves of the home fans, finally able to celebrate for the first time since August.
Forest have four points, having drawn at Real Betis and lost at home to Midtjylland, while Porto remain on six points after their unbeaten run in all competitions this season was ended.
MIDTJYLLAND MAGIC
Midtjylland took the lead one minute before the break when Franculino Dju showed great control to take the ball down on the turn before smashing his shot into the net.
Philip Billing doubled the Danes’ lead before Dju bagged a second six minutes from time to complete the win.
Midtjylland are on nine points alongside Braga and Olympique Lyonnais, while Maccabi have one point.
Roma remain on three points while Plzen move on to seven after their win at the Stadio Olimpico, where the Czechs were two goals ahead halfway through the opening half.
Prince Adu waltzed through the Roma defence before slotting his shot over the keeper and Cheick Souare smacked a powerful low strike into the corner from well outside the area, with Paulo Dybala’s second half penalty being Roma’s only response.
Celtic are on four points after their first win, despite going behind to Tomi Horvat’s first half goal. Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren netted for the Scots after the break.
In Thursday’s earlier games, Aston Villa fell to a 2-1 loss at Go Ahead Eagles, Lyon beat Basel 2-0, Braga defeated Red Star Belgrade, while Rangers’ new manager Danny Rohl began life at the Scottish club with a 3-0 loss at SK Brann.
