Postecoglou’s reign came to an abrupt and almost surreal end, he was sacked only 18 minutes after a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. His spell lasted just 39 days, making it the shortest in Premier League history for a permanent manager, with a record of zero wins, two draws, and six losses.
Sitting in the relegation zone with only five points, Forest confirmed Dyche’s appointment on Tuesday on a contract running until June 2027. The 54-year-old, who once played for Forest as a youth, returns to management for the first time since leaving Everton in January. Joining him on the coaching staff are Forest fan favourites Ian Woan and Steve Stone. Their first task is a daunting one: to revive a team that hasn’t tasted victory in their last 10 matches across all competitions (three draws, seven defeats).
Since their opening-day 3-1 win over Brentford, the City Ground has been anything but a fortress. Forest have lost four consecutive home games, failing to score in each of the last three and conceding three goals in all but one. Their Europa League journey hasn’t been kinder either — after a 2-2 draw away at Real Betis, they suffered a 3-2 home loss to FC Midtjylland.
This will be Dyche’s first-ever European game as a manager, and he’ll be hoping to bring his trademark grit and structure to a struggling Forest side desperate for stability.
On the other hand, Porto arrive in Nottingham brimming with confidence. Francesco Farioli’s men have been flying this season — unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions, with 10 wins and a single draw. They’ve scored at least twice in eight of those games and currently sit three points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Before the international break, Porto battled to a 0-0 draw with fierce rivals Benfica, but quickly rediscovered their rhythm by thrashing Celoricense 4-0 in the Taca de Liga. Rising star Samu Aghehowa stole the show with a blistering 10-minute hat-trick, taking his tally to eight goals in nine matches this season. However, he’s yet to open his account in Europe.
Porto’s European form has been solid — they edged Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 and beat Red Star Belgrade 2-1 in their opening two fixtures. A win at Forest would see them start a European campaign with three straight victories for the first time since 2012–13.
The Portuguese side have also been formidable on the road, winning all six of their away games this season with a stunning goal difference of 16–1.
However, history offers Forest a glimmer of hope. Porto have struggled against English opposition over the years, winning just 10 of 49 previous meetings (12 draws, 27 defeats). In fact, they’ve managed only one victory in 24 away matches on English soil — a 1-0 win at Chelsea in April 2021 during the Champions League.
With Dyche’s arrival injecting fresh discipline and Porto’s confidence soaring, Thursday’s clash at the City Ground promises to be a fascinating contest — a meeting of desperation and momentum on the European stage.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Forest are in good shape on the injury front, with full-back Ola Aina being their only concern as he recovers from hamstring surgery.
However, they have a few players who won't be available because they weren't registered for the Europa League squad. That list includes Taiwo Awoniyi, Omari Hutchinson, Jair Cunha, and Angus Gunn.
Manager Sean Dyche might shake things up from the back-five formation they used in their last game against Chelsea. We could see him switch to a more traditional four-man defence for this match, which would likely mean Morato dropping out of the starting XI.
In the midfield, Captain Ryan Yates is pushing for a recall and could take the spot of either Douglas Luiz or Ibrahim Sangare. Up front, there's a real battle for starting places between Chris Wood (who played under Dyche at Burnley), Igor Jesus, Dan Ndoye, and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Porto has a couple of key absences due to injury: Luuk de Jong and Nehuen Perez are both still out with knee ligament injuries. Like Forest, they also have a few players ineligible for the competition: Tomas Perez and Yann Karamoh.
Coach Francesco Farioli is expected to field his strongest side. The defense will likely feature the familiar back four of former Southampton man Jan Bednarek, Arsenal loanee Jakub Kiwior, Alberto Costa, and Francisco Moura.
The engine room in midfield is set to be a trio of Alan Varela, Gabri Veiga, and Victor Froholdt. Leading the line will be their star striker, Samu Aghehowa, who will probably be supported by former Norwich City playmaker Borja Sainz and the Brazilian winger, Pepe.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Zinchenko; Ndoye, Yates, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi; Gibbs-White; Wood
Porto possible starting lineup:
D. Costa; A .Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Moura; Froholdt, Varela, Veiga; Pepe, Samu, Sainz
EXPERT PREDICTION
Nottingham Forest 0-2 FC Porto
