Nottingham Forest still winless under Ange Postecoglou after Europa League loss | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest’s long-awaited return to European football at the City Ground after nearly three decades culminated in a 3-2 Europa League defeat to Midtjylland, as home supporters swiftly turned on new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian’s winless run extended to 22 days since his appointment, prompting frustrated fans to chant "sacked in the morning" while also voicing support for former boss Nuno Espirito Santo. This result marks a low for Forest, with Postecoglou becoming the first permanent manager in 100 years to fail to secure a victory in his initial six matches.

The home supporters had waited with anticipation for their first taste of home European action since March 1996, but Ousmane Diao’s opener killed the buzz inside the stadium.

Dan Ndoye equalised for Forest in the 22nd minute, only for Mads Bech to put the visitors in front again two minutes later.

Midtjylland had their backs to the wall in the second period and Forest twice thought they levelled through substitute Chris Wood, but on both occasions the assistant referee’s offside flag cut celebrations short.

Instead Midtjylland caught Forest on the counter-attack and added a third through Valdemar Andreasen, sparking the chants against Postecoglou, with Wood’s late penalty unable to stop the boos from ringing around the City Ground.

Supporters in the Trent End unfurled a tifo reading ‘For a new generation our time has come’ as the players took to the field in an electric atmosphere.

But the visitors stunned the Forest fans into silence in the 18th minute.

Midtjylland were gifted a dangerous free-kick and they took advantage as Bech flicked Aral Simsir’s delivery into the path of Diao, who tapped into an empty net at the far post.

It sparked a reaction from the hosts and Morgan Gibbs-White had a go from 20 yards, which forced Elias Olafsson into his first save of the evening.

Forest levelled four minutes after the opener.

Gibbs-White broke the offside trap to latch on to a ball over the top and fed it across the box to Ndoye, who swept home to make it 1-1.

But Forest soon found themselves behind again after they failed to deal with another set-piece.

Victor Jensen’s corner came off the head of Philip Billing and the ball dropped nicely inside the six-yard box for Bech, who poked home.

Forest started the second half on the front foot and Olafsson had to be alert to keep out Neco Williams’ effort from distance before Callum Hudson-Odoi saw one fly wide.

The hosts looked to be edging closer to an equaliser with the visitors apparently happy to hold what they had and Ibrahim Sangare was next to try his luck from distance with a shot which went the wrong side of a post.

Postecoglou turned to Wood and the striker was twice denied an equaliser by the offside flag in the space of three minutes.

Midtjylland added an 88th-minute third, with Postecoglou left standing in the dugout with his hands on his head as Andreasen broke and tucked his finish past Matz Sels.

Forest were given a chance to cut the deficit after VAR spotted a foul on Anderson, but Wood’s penalty was not enough to save them from defeat.