Story byNottingham Forest vying for automatic Round of 16 spot in Braga showdownFootball TodayWed, January 21, 2026 at 8:28 AM UTC·2 min readNottingham Forest travel to Estadio Municipal de Braga on Thursday knowing that victory would significantly strengthen their push for automatic qualification to the UEFA Europa League last 16. With two league-phase fixtures remaining, Forest’s objective is clear and leaves little room for caution. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey arrive in Portugal sitting just outside the automatic qualification places, aware that wins against Sporting Braga and Ferencvaros could remove the need for a play-off round. On paper, Forest’s domestic form offers limited encouragement. They have managed only one victory in their last seven matches across all competitions and remain drawn into a relegation battle in the Premier League. However, recent performances suggest a side showing greater resilience than the raw numbers indicate. Saturday’s goalless draw at home to Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, provided tangible evidence of renewed organisation and belief. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementForest restricted Arsenal to few clear chances and defended with discipline, producing a display that head coach Sean Dyche will view as a platform rather than a missed opportunity. That result followed a pattern seen more clearly in Europe. Forest have looked increasingly assured in the Europa League, collecting 11 points from six matches and conceding just once in four games since Dyche’s appointment. Back-to-back victories over Malmo and FC Utrecht before the winter break lifted them firmly into contention for the top eight. Confidence will also be drawn from their previous success against Portuguese opposition this season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementForest beat FC Porto 2-0 at the City Ground in October, a result that underlined their ability to manage high-pressure European fixtures. That win remains one of the standout moments of their campaign and offers reassurance ahead of another demanding away assignment. Braga, however, represent a different challenge entirely. The Portuguese side sit seventh in the league-phase table and currently occupy one of the automatic qualification places. They have won four of their six matches and arrive with the incentive of securing progress without further complications. Despite recent domestic setbacks, Braga have made Estadio Municipal de Braga a difficult venue in European competition. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTheir narrow win away to OGC Nice last time out in the Europa League reinforced their efficiency in tight contests. Forest cannot afford to approach the fixture with anything other than full intensity. Dropping points would place additional pressure on their final group match and risk undoing much of their earlier progress. The circumstances leave Forest with clarity rather than comfort. They may be underdogs away from home, but their recent European form and the resolve shown against Arsenal suggest they have reason to believe. This is an opportunity for Forest to give their European return real substance. It demands their best performance of the campaign so far.
