Hudson-Odoi sends Nottingham Forest into last 16 despite home defeat by Fenerbahce

Hudson-Odoi sends Nottingham Forest into last 16 despite home defeat by Fenerbahce

For 67 minutes, Nottingham Forest were at risk of making unwanted ­history. At that point Fenerbahce were 2-0 up and full of belief that they could achieve the miracle their head coach Domenico Tedesco had been manifesting since their 3-0 first-leg defeat in Istanbul . Only one team in the history of European competition had lost the first leg of a tie by a three-goal margin at home and advanced. Up in the City Ground directors’ box, Evangelos Marinakis, more than an interested party on that occasion, presumably had flashbacks of Olympiakos suffering a 4-1 home defeat by Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Conference League two years ago, only to triumph 6-1 in Serbia in the second leg. Continue reading...

Lacroix heads Crystal Palace past Zrinjski and into Conference League last 16

Lacroix heads Crystal Palace past Zrinjski and into Conference League last 16

It is a peculiarity particular to Crystal Palace that a season of such upheaval and unrest could still end up with Oliver Glasner’s side winning another trophy. Having left the pitch after last week’s first leg with supporters calling for the Austrian manager to be sacked in the morning, Maxence Lacroix’s first-half header made it a much more harmonious evening for Glasner and his side. They spurned a number of opportunities to wrap up the victory over Zrinjski before Evann Guessand eventually did late on after being fortunate to escape from last week’s trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 1-1 draw. Continue reading...