portugoal.net
The clash at the Estadio do Dragao is historic for Nottingham Forest as they face European giants Porto in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. The English side are the surprise in the tournament, but Porto at home is one of the toughest teams to beat in Europe. The Portuguese are in excellent form, having won 11 of their last 12 home games. In the previous phase, they demonstrated routine and experience, which makes them the favorites in this first match. Nottingham Forest have come this far after a dramatic comeback against Midtjylland. A 2-1 away win after a first-leg loss. The team has shown incredible mentality on the road, consistently scoring over two goals in their last six visits in Europe. An interesting fact is that the two teams have already met earlier this season in the group stage of the tournament. Then Nottingham Forest beat Porto 2-0 at their City Ground. Now, however, the stakes are much higher now, and Porto will be looking for revenge in front of their fans. Porto has very good wingers and strikers, who have been averaging also over two goals per game recently. Their ability to break through tight defences will be tested. The speed of Forest's counterattacks is their main weapon. They are expected to play cautiously and rely on set pieces and quick transitions.
