Nottingham Forest secured a vital 1-2 away victory over FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg on Thursday night. The English side came from behind to claim a crucial advantage heading into the second leg at the City Ground. Midtjylland took an early lead, capitalizing on a set-piece to put the home crowd in a frenzy. However, Forest grew into the match and equalized before halftime through a well-worked team move. The decisive moment came in the second half when a Forest winger was brought down in the box, and the resulting penalty was coolly converted to complete the turnaround. The match was a tense, physical affair with both teams creating chances, but Forest's clinical edge in key moments proved the difference. This result gives Steve Cooper's side a strong platform to progress to the quarter-finals, while Midtjylland faces a difficult task in the return fixture needing to score at least twice.