FC Porto tied with Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals (1-1) and will battle for a place in the semi-finals in England next Thursday (20h00, Sport TV5). William Gomes scored the only goal for the Blue and Whites at Estádio do Dragão.

Francesco Farioli made seven changes to the starting eleven that had faced FC Famalicão, and Terem Moffi, one of the four players retained in the starting line-up, had the first chance to open the scoring. Just 45 seconds in, the Nigerian international, played in by Seko Fofana, fired a shot that was saved by Stefan Ortega, who also stopped Borja Sainz’s follow-up.

The Spanish winger would go on to unsuccessfully finish another one-touch play (8 mins) and the Dragons, with their foot firmly on the gas, would take the lead shortly afterwards: just past the ten-minute mark, Pablo Rosario played a backheel pass to Gabri Veiga, who, with his left foot and on the half-volley, crossed accurately for William Gomes to tap in at the far post (1-0).

A disagreement between Martim Fernandes – who was substituted in the 19th minute due to injury, making way for Alberto Costa – and Diogo Costa led to the tie (1–1), but the cheers from the 46,479 fans in the stands softened the blow of the goal conceded, and, in stoppage time, Ortega did well to preserve the tie by saving a header from Moffi.

In a start to the second half much like the first, William Gomes had a shot that flew just wide of the near post (49m) before Victor Froholdt, Pepê and Deniz Gül replaced Gabri Veiga, Borja Sainz and Terem Moffi.

In the 68th minute – after Nottingham had a goal disallowed for a foul by Igor Jesus on Diogo Costa – the Brazilian winger once again tested the English goal with his trademark move, only for the goalkeeper to tip it away for a corner, just before Deniz Gül missed the target by a few centimetres (69m) and Seko Fofana was replaced by Alan Varela (74m).

In the 79th minute, Pepê’s backheel produced a perfectly weighted pass for Froholdt, who fired low past the far post; Varela tested the Spanish goalkeeper’s reflexes in the 85th minute, but the 1-1 remained until Italian referee Marco Guida blew the final whistle.