Forest look to end away day drought against Sturm Graz in Europa League | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest will aim to make it two wins from two in the Europa League under Sean Dyche when they travel to Austria to face Sturm Graz on Thursday night.

Forest’s new manager has spoken openly about prioritising ‘effective’ football over ‘fashionable’ ideas, and his methods have quickly taken shape in Europe.

His first game in charge brought a 2-0 victory over Porto at the City Ground, ending the club’s 30-year wait for a continental win and giving them a foothold in the competition.

However, Dyche is still waiting for his first Premier League victory. Forest were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth before drawing 2-2 with Manchester United last weekend.

That result extended Forest’s winless run in the league to nine matches, leaving them second from bottom.

The Europa League has offered a different mood. Forest sit mid-table in the 36-team standings with a win, a draw and a defeat from their opening three games.

Another victory on Thursday could push them closer to the top eight and ease the pressure building at home.

Dyche’s immediate task will be improving his team’s away form. Forest have gone seven matches without a win on the road in all competitions and have kept only one clean sheet in their last 23 games.

Their previous Europa League trip ended in a 2-2 draw at Real Betis, when Igor Jesus scored twice before a late equaliser denied them all three points.

Sturm Graz remain competitive in the Austrian Bundesliga and Europe despite inconsistency.

The defending champions have won seven of their opening 11 league matches but have lost their last two, dropping to third in the table with a game in hand.

Jurgen Saumel’s side have picked up three points from nine in Europe, beating Rangers between defeats to Midtjylland and Celtic.

They currently sit just one point behind Forest in the standings and will view this fixture as a chance to revive their campaign.

Sturm Graz have struggled historically against English sides, losing six of their eight meetings, with their only win coming against Arsenal over 50 years ago.

Forest will hope that trend continues. Dyche’s side still lacks fluidity, but their resilience has shown signs of returning, and the Europa League could yet provide the spark to lift their season.

A win in Austria would not only strengthen their European ambitions but also underline that Dyche’s blueprint is beginning to take hold.