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Thank you very much for joining me for tonight’s big game.
Ben Fisher was the main man in Porto. Here is his report.
Paul MacInnes was in Bologna on a big night for Aston Villa.
Ed Aarons was at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace sent Fiorentina packing.
Ryan Yates: “We will take it back to the City Ground, everything to play for.
“I thought it was a real tactical game, they had spells on the ball, we had to be disciplined and defensively organised. I took us 10 minutes to get into it but I think it was deserved.”
Full time: Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest
After shaky start for Forest, they will leave Portugal level. A draw always looked the aim for Pereira’s side and the head coach will be very happy with his side’s performance. Should be a spicy second leg.
90+4 mins: Forest are eager to whack the ball as far down the pitch as possible. Who can blame them?
90+2 mins: William bends in a dangerous cross from the right but it is a little too high for everyone and goes harmlessly out of play.
90 mins: Five minutes added on.
88 mins: Porto have a corner on the right. Time for Forest to hold their nerves. Williams takes it but Milenkovic heads clear. The visitors try to break but it is unsuccessful, and arguably ill-advised.
86 mins: Neat combination on the edge of the box allows Varela a chance from 18 yards, which is deflected but Ortega is in the right position to claim.
Ndoye takes a bang on the hip after a heavy fall. He gets up gingerly.
84 mins: Ndoye gets the ball whacked into his gentleman’s agreement and needs a few seconds while his eyes water.
82 mins: Forest are getting men behind the ball and making it difficult for Porto to prise them open. Porto enjoy a slow buildup and Varela is forced to shoot from distance but it’s a wayward effort.
80 mins: Nearly a second for Porto! Ortega fails to come for a ball, allowing Pepe to collect and produce a stunning backheeled through ball to Froholdt, whose shot goes an inch wide.
78 mins: Forest must be eyeing up the draw now. They are knocking it about at limited speed.
76 mins: Very sensible for Forest to put an extra central midfielder onto the pitch to add a little extra fortitude.
74 mins: The home grow are getting louder and the Porto side on the pitch are moving things quicker.
Fofana off, Varela on for Porto.
Forest are sending on Sangare for McAtee.
72 mins: Porto are plotting a final change in the hope of finding a winner.
70 mins: Deniz Gul looks lively and gets into the box, combining with Froholdt, but curls his show over from six yards or so.
69 mins: William takes aim for the bottom corner but Ortega comes up with the goods, producing a fine save to tip the shot wide.
67 mins: Forest are showing a little more confidence at this stage. McAtee swings in a cross from the right but it goes over everyone.
65 mins: The officials are still looking at this potential goal from Jesus. Diogo Costa is milking it to show a foul must have occurred. The referee is calling over Thiago Silva and Yates for a chat.
The goal will not stand on account of handball, judging by the gesture from the referee. Who knows?!
64 mins: Ortega is also having a bit of treatment.
63 mins: NO GOAL! A little bit of chaos. Igor Jesus clatters into Diogo Costa in the box when challenging for a cross. The goalkeeper hits the deck and Jesus smashes the ball in. The referee belatedly disallows it. I would argue, no foul was committed but it would take a brave referee to overturn it.
62 mins: Williams goes to right wing-back and Hutchinson is a straight replacement for Gibbs-White.
Williams first involvement is a straightforward backpass to Ortega, who takes a dreadful first touch and only just about recovers.
60 mins: Williams and Hutchinson on for Bakwa and Gibbs-White.
59 mins: McAtee is given plenty of space around 30 yards from goal, he gets the ball out of his feet and thrashes shot but Diogo Costa is equal to it.
Porto take off Sainz, Moffi and Veiga. Pepe, Deniz Gul and. Froholdt on.
57 mins: Alberto Costa sends a cross, causing chaos; Ortega threatens to come and claim but back tracks, none of the defenders do anything about it and the forwards can’t get a touch. In the end, Forest do manage to clear.
55 mins: Darren Fletcher has just realised Porto have not made a sub.
Forest are offered next to nothing going forward in this half.
53 mins: Porto have a corner on the right. William curls it in to the front post, from where it is flicked on, forcing Dominguez to head clear off the line.
51 mins: I am not sure what the commentators are on about with regards to Pepe coming on for William because the latter is definitely still on the pitch and the former is not.
49 mins: I suspect Forest will be happy to leave with a draw, so might slow things down at times here.
Not on this occasion, however, as they break up field but it concludes prematurely when Bakwa loses the ball.
Down the other end, William has a chance on the right, he cuts in then drags a shot wide.
47 mins: Fofana receives the ball in a decent position inside the box but takes too long and is crowded out.
Second half
Here we go again!
Milenkovic and Jesus on for Murillo and Wood.
Half-time reading …
Justin Kavanagh emails: “Poor Martim Fernandes, sitting on the bench, surrounded by teammates but feeling like the loneliest 20-year-old alive. It’s one thing missing from 12 yards in a shoot-out or some such, but a 45-yard own goal will be a 3-a.m.-sweat-soaker of a memory to try and banish.”
Half time: Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest
In the early stages, it looked like Porto would run away with the game – and possibly the tie – but a bizarre own goal from Martim changed the momentum. The Portuguese side still look the better of the two but Forest have a sniff.
45+1 mins: William digs out a cross for Moffi to attack; the striker gets in a decent header from six yards but Ortega reads it and makes a fine save.
45 mins: Three minutes added on.
43 mins: Wood being thrown in after six months out is a reminder of how useless Lucca has been since arriving in January. Forest need a focal point and the Italian is not it.
41 mins: Forest have certainly improved since their fortunate equaliser but I still feel the defence can be opened up with relative ease.
39 mins: Yates nods a looping header at goal but it is a straightforward claim for Diogo Costa.
37 mins: It becomes quite crowded on the edge of the Forest box, making things difficult for Porto. Gabriel Veiga gets a half chance on the edge of the box but his shot lacks power and accuracy.
35 mins: The Porto fans are booing, which is quite funny in its way. It’s only 1-1 lads. Be patient.
33 mins: Forest enjoy their best spell of possession, concluding with Gibbs-White pulling a cross back for McAtee but a Porto foot reaches it first.
