Ola Aina insists Nottingham Forest have the belief and the recent away form to overturn a one-goal deficit against FC Midtjylland and reach the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night.
Ola Aina is not ready for Forest’s European adventure to end. Ahead of the second leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie against Danish side FC Midtjylland, the Nigeria international has put his faith squarely in the team’s defensive backbone and their ability to punish the hosts when the chances come.
Nottingham Forest head to the MCH Arena in Herning carrying a 1-0 deficit from the first leg at the City Ground, a result that left VÃtor Pereira’s side with work to do but far from out of the tie. The second leg kicks off on Thursday evening, with Forest needing at least one away goal to keep their quarter-final dream alive.
Aina Points to Away Record as Reason for Belief
There is genuine reason for optimism in the Forest camp beyond just Aina’s words. The Reds have only lost once on the road in this season’s Europa League, a record that puts them among the more reliable away sides left in the competition. Their most striking away performance came at Fenerbahce’s ground in Turkey, where they ran out 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White. That kind of ruthlessness on foreign soil is exactly what they will need in Denmark.
Aina’s message before the game was simple and direct. He told reporters the key would be defending solidly first and then making the most of whatever openings Midtjylland give them. It is the kind of pragmatic thinking that reflects how VÃtor Pereira has shaped this Forest side over the past year, a team built on structure and collective effort rather than individual brilliance.
What This Tie Means for Forest and Nigerian Football
For Nottingham Forest as a club, a Europa League quarter-final would represent a historic achievement in their modern era. The club last won a major European trophy in 1980 when they lifted the European Cup for the second time under Brian Clough, and their return to continental football after decades away has captivated fans both in England and abroad. Reaching the last eight of a UEFA competition would be a statement that Forest are no longer just a Premier League side fighting to stay up, but a genuine contender capable of competing at the highest level.
For Nigerian football fans, Aina’s continued prominence in a Forest side pushing for European honours is a source of real pride. The full-back, who also featured for the Super Eagles at AFCON 2025, has been one of the more consistent performers in their back line this season. His involvement on both sides of the pitch makes him one of the more complete Nigerian defenders playing top-flight football in Europe right now. Stay connected with all Nigerian players in European action at FootballInNigeria.com.ng. Forest fans in Nigeria looking to back the Reds tonight can sign up on Bet9ja using the Bet9ja promo code YOHAIG for a welcome bonus on their first deposit.
Can Midtjylland Hold On?
FC Midtjylland are no soft touch at home. The Danish Superliga side are renowned for their data-driven approach to recruitment and match preparation, a model that has made them one of the most consistently competitive clubs in Scandinavia over the past decade. They will not sit back and defend a one-goal lead; their style is too proactive for that. But Forest, fresh off a strong run of form in both the Premier League and Europe, arrive as the team with momentum and the greater attacking firepower when fully fit.
If Aina and the Forest backline can replicate their defensive discipline from recent away games, while the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi find space in behind, this tie is very much alive. Aina’s confidence is not posturing. It is backed by a body of work that says Forest are more than capable of getting the job done in Denmark.
📌 Did You Know?
- Ola Aina began his professional career at Chelsea’s academy but never made a senior appearance for the club, going on loan to Hull City in 2016 before eventually leaving permanently. He is now one of the most capped active Nigerian defenders in European football.
- Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 away win against Fenerbahce earlier in this Europa League campaign is the joint-biggest away victory by an English club in any UEFA competition this season.
- FC Midtjylland are co-owned in part by former Brentford co-owner Matthew Benham, who has applied the same data analytics model to both clubs. Their recruitment approach has been studied by clubs across Europe as a blueprint for competing above their financial means.
- Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, where the first leg was played, sits on the banks of the River Trent and has a capacity of around 30,000. Planning permission for a new expanded stand would increase this to over 38,000, underlining the club’s ambitions as they cement their Premier League status.
- The MCH Arena in Herning, where the second leg will be played, has a capacity of just over 11,800 — making it one of the smallest venues still active in European knockout football at this stage of the competition.
- Nigeria has had players compete in the UEFA Europa League final twice in recent years. John Obi Mikel won it with Chelsea in 2013, and Victor Moses also lifted the trophy as part of the same squad. Aina now has the chance to add to that European legacy.
- VÃtor Pereira, Forest’s Portuguese head coach, previously managed clubs in Greece, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia before taking the Nottingham job. His experience managing in hostile away environments across different continents may prove crucial in getting a result in Herning.
