Gibbs-White’s early strike decisive as Nottingham Forest edge past 10-man Porto

William Gomes hits the bar for Porto as Forest endure some nervous moments in the second half. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA

Wood’s recovery was short-lived and he was forced off, with Igor Jesus taking his place. It did not affect the flow of the game as Forest continued to dominate, camping out in the final third in search of a second that could finish the tie. There was plenty of endeavour and threat, with the players especially eager to focus on Sunday’s visit of Burnley, but they struggled to test Diogo Costa. Corners were causing problems, however, with Igor Jesus heading over a glorious chance from close range and Murillo sliding a shot wide.

Porto were forced to sit deep and defend for long periods, desperately hoping to maintain the one-goal deficit for as long as possible and see if it would be possible to sneak an equaliser. They had little ambition going forward, leaving Moffi extremely isolated and with limited prospect of troubling the Forest backline.

Francesco Farioli indicated his plan with a quadruple change to start the second half. It did not make any difference to the direction of travel as Forest kept pushing forward and Igor Jesus forced Diogo Costa into a smart save from a first-time shot but every missed chance increased the tension. Farioli showed his frustration to the officials and was promptly booked.

Nerves and the crossbar were rattled when a Porto counterattack twisted and turned Forest. Seko Fofana got down the left and had the composure to chip the ball to William Gomes at the far post from where his volley assaulted the woodwork but he could only grimace as it bounced down on the wrong side. It was a warning to everyone in red that this tie was far from over.

Calm was replaced by panic for Forest as Pereira prowled the touchline, seeking a ruthless streak in his side. A little after the hour mark centre-back Nikola Milenkovic was sent on to fortify the defence, replacing the winger Dan Ndoye, offering an indication of the Forest coach’s thinking.

By the time the clock struck 70 minutes, Forest’s 16 shots had mustered only four on target. Their lack of composure in the final third was showing and it was creating a needless amount of jeopardy for the hosts.

Pereira was left to count the cost of injuries to Wood, Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi, a trio he will be desperate to have available for Sunday’s must-win match.

When Alan Varela thrashed a shot against the crossbar with six minutes remaining, a hush descended. The digital clock on the halfway line was equally compelling as the action on the pitch, every second feeling like a successful pass. It felt like an eternity for many but one worth waiting for as Forest nervously reached a first European semi-final for 42 years.