Nottingham Forest suffered a 1-0 defeat to Braga in the Europa League, with Sean Dyche blaming a brief lapse in concentration. Forest missed a penalty, then conceded an own goal less than a minute later, and also had Elliot Anderson sent off in stoppage time for dissent.
The loss damaged Forest’s hopes of reaching the top eight in the league phase, while Braga took advantage despite offering little in attack. Dyche argued that Forest controlled most key moments, yet still left with nothing after what Dyche described as a single chaotic passage of play.
The decisive sequence started when Morgan Gibbs-White saw a penalty saved, with 55 seconds proving costly. Soon after, Ricardo Horta delivered a low cross that Ryan Yates diverted into the Forest
net. That own goal separated the sides and left Forest needing other results to keep qualification ambitions alive.
Forest’s frustration deepened late on when Anderson received a red card in second-half stoppage time for dissent. That dismissal added further pressure to Dyche’s squad management for upcoming fixtures, as Forest balanced domestic responsibilities with the demands of European competition and a busy recent schedule.
Dyche stressed that Forest’s application was not the problem, contrasting this display with an earlier domestic setback. He had previously criticised some fringe players after the FA Cup defeat to Wrexham, but felt this Europa League performance did not fall into the same category regarding attitude or work rate.
Dyche told TNT Sports: "There is effort here, that killer edge, we want more of that. Of course, we are in that weird situation where we have to protect players who are playing a lot of football," highlighting the rotation demands on the squad during this phase of the season.
Dyche made seven changes from Forest’s previous Europa League fixture, aiming to manage minutes while still fielding a competitive side. The head coach suggested that several players have impressed in training but are still searching for a fuller impact when given opportunities on major European nights against seasoned opponents like Braga.
Dyche explained the wider challenge of selection and expectation. "We want to do well in this competition, we still do, of course. It is a fine line - it is a juggling act. You want to give everyone a chance to showcase themselves. They are working ever so hard in training. To come here, we suspect to step on and that is the kind of thing we are waiting for, that feeling to take the game on, and it never really occurred. "
Thank you for your support, Reds. Safe travels home. pic.twitter.com/MwnG4jP6UNNottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 22, 2026
Nottingham Forest and Europa League record notes
The match carried unusual statistical footnotes. Forest became the first English team in Europa League history to both miss a penalty and score an own goal within a single game. That combination underlined how fine margins went against the Tricky Trees across crucial periods of the contest.
Braga’s win was also notable across the wider competition record. Since the Europa League format began in 2009-10, Braga are only the second side to win a match without registering a shot on target. The first came when Lazio beat Nice in November 2017 under similar circumstances regarding attempts on goal.
The pattern of play supported Dyche’s argument that Forest rarely looked troubled. Dyche said, "You might come away with a draw, but you shouldn't really lose that game. One minute of madness cost us the game. I don't think they hardly had a real chance, then we had a goalmouth scramble and even that can't go in. "
Forest now face a testing route to progress from the Europa League league phase, given dropped points here and earlier results. Dyche and the squad must respond quickly, turning possession and effort into goals, while limiting costly errors that have already shaped their European campaign against Braga.
