A heavily-rotated Forest XI was tasked with being competitive against Porto, but their changes almost came back to bite them in the opening five minutes.
The biggest early chance fell the way of Terem Moffi, who only had Stefan Ortega to beat inside the area, but he fired straight at the Forest stopper before Borja Sainz did the same with the rebound.
Porto’s pressure was incessant in the opening stages, and their endeavour eventually bore fruit when Gabri Veiga rolled a ball across the six-yard line and William Gomes was on hand to tap into an empty goal at the far post.
A freak incident just moments later got Forest back on level terms, as Martim Fernandes’ 40-yard back pass was wayward and overhit, so much so that it left Diogo Costa stranded as the ball nestled in the bottom corner.
Fernandes’ misery was compounded when he was withdrawn through injury just moments later, and although much of the first half petered out after a frantic start, Moffi should’ve fired his side ahead on the stroke of half-time when he climbed highest in the area, only to direct a header into the grateful arms of Ortega.
Forest rolled the dice at the break by making changes, but it was one of Porto’s mainstays in Gomes who almost fired Porto ahead within minutes of the restart when he stepped inside off the right and whistled an effort just wide of the near post.
Forest felt aggrieved shortly after the hour mark when they thought they’d taken the lead, as Igor Jesus and Porto keeper Costa contested a ball inside the area, and after minimal contact left the stopper on the floor, referee Marco Guida allowed play to go on and Jesus to score, but a lengthy VAR check adjudged the Brazilian to have fouled Costa.
Two Porto substitutes combined to create their best chance to take an advantage to the East Midlands for next week’s second leg, as Pepe’s deft pass found the unmarked Victor Froholdt inside the area, but he could only flash an effort across the face of goal and narrowly wide.
The tie remains firmly on a knife-edge after a first-leg stalemate, a result which undoubtedly suits Forest more, particularly as they have already beaten Porto at the City Ground this season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: William Gomes (Porto)
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