After dropping points from a winning position to Manchester United on the weekend, Nottingham Forest endured a goalless draw with Austrian side Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday evening. Sean Dyche, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in October, and his men were defensively resolute but struggled to operate well in the final third.
A lively start resulted in the English visitors enjoying the lion's share of possession – and the travelling contingent thought it was to no avail as Jurgen Samuel's outfit scored with their very first shot on target. To the relief of the away side, the goal was chalked off as the goalscorer, Maurice Malone, was in an offside position.
Morgan Gibbs-White, in the 35th minute, then had the chance to give his side the lead, but Oliver Christensen remained strong between the posts to thwart the Englishman's effort from the penalty spot. The hosts woke up following the half-time interval but a raft of changes for both teams failed to see either break the deadlock. Both sides walked away with a point apiece.
Sturm Graz vs Nottingham Forest – Match Statistics
Sturm Graz
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3
2
0
1
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Match Highlights
To follow...
Sturm Graz Player Ratings
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Oliver Christensen – 6/10
Needed to be on his A-game given Forest let off shots in abundance and got down well occasionally to keep his side in the match. Produced a strong stop for Gibbs-White's penalty.
Arjan Malic – 7/10
Miraculously cleared Yates' point-blank header off the line in the 17th minute. Had the onerous task of keeping Forest's left-hand side quiet and did a good job with some tough tackling.
Emanuel Aiwu – 6/10
Overshadowed by his centre-back partner, the Austrian also committed the foul which led to Forest's penalty. Luckily, he had Christensen to spare his blushes.
Niklas Geyrhofer – 7/10
Dealt well with the high-pressing nature of Forest's attack, while he also offered a calm and composed presence with the ball at his feet.
Emir Karic – 6.5/10
Did well to neutralise the threat of Forest's right-hand side with some crucial defensive moments in the first half. Offered very little the other direction, though.
Jon Gorenc-Stankovic – 5/10
Sat at the base of midfield with very little movement and he was often caught chasing shadows. The midfielder, at large, offered very little.
Jacob Hodl – 6/10
Picked the ball up on many occasions but failed to really penetrate Forest's sturdy defensive structure. Flourished upon the triumvirate of changes in the second half.
Tomi Horvat – 5/10
A passenger in the game's opening exchanges, Horvat saw very little of the ball. The 26-year-old did offer plenty of defensive solidity in his attempts to nullify Forest's attacking threat.
Otar Kiteishvili – 6/10
The evident talisman for the hosts, the Georgian picked up some lovely spaces between Forest lines – but he was rarely found by a teammate.
Filip Rozga – 7/10
Certainly keen to battle hard from the off – evidenced by his high number of duels – Rozga gave the Forest defenders something to think about.
Maurice Malone – 6/10
Forced to drop deep to offer a pass into the forwards, given Sturm Graz enjoyed very little of the ball and, although it was eventually chalked off, he found the back of the net in the first half.
Sub – Seedy Jatta (57') – 5/10
Introduced just before the hour mark to inject some pace and power.
Sub – Dimitri Lavalee (57') – 4/10
Offered fresh legs into an evidently tired back line.
Sub – Axel Kayombo (57') – 5/10
Cautioned for a reckless foul just after entering the fray, but added a layer of energy for the home side.
Sub – Stefan Hierlander (78') – 3/10
Added experience but was seldom involved.
Nottingham Forest Player Ratings
nottingham forest
John Victor – 5/10
Seldom tested by the home side, Victor enjoyed a rather quiet European night before making his first save of the night in the 27th minute.
Nicolo Savona – 7/10
Cool and composed under pressure, Savona is settling well into life under Dyche and that was proved in Austria as he combined well with his teammates on the right.
Nikola Milenkovic – 7/10
Defensively robust when the hosts poked and prodded, while he also won the majority of his aerial duels. His cross-field switches also offered the visiting side a route one approach when necessary.
Morato – 6/10
Enjoyed plenty of touches of the ball as his side dominated proceedings. Dealt well with the home side's attacking reinforcements in the second half by being firm in the tackle.
Nicolas Dominguez – 6/10
Albeit out of position, Dominguez enjoyed a quietly positive opening 45. Came so close to bagging the winner in the final embers as he wrapped his left foot around the ball late on.
Ryan Yates – 6.5/10
The captain dropped into the back line to provide a line-breaking outlet from deep. One of Forest's go-to livewires.
Ibrahim Sangare – 5/10
Albeit playing on the safe side, Sangare kept things ticking in the middle of the park. That didn't often result in his killing attacks by going backwards.
James McAtee – 6/10
Not far away from opening the scoring just before the ten-minute mark, McAtee should've hit the target at least. The odd drop of the shoulder also showcased his talent.
Neco Williams – 8/10 (Man of the Match)
The Welshman offered an electric threat on the left and, in the game's opening stages, he caused plenty of problems for the Austrian side. That continued throughout as he was the stand-out star in Austria.
Morgan Gibbs-White – 5/10
Quiet in the affair's early sparring and then failed to convert his penalty to put Forest one goal ahead.
Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga – 6/10
His first start in Forest colours since his summer move, and the Frenchman pressed from the front well. A few deft touches here and there, and he'll be semi-pleased with how he performed.
Sub – Dan Ndoye (66') – 3/10
Entered the fray in favour of McAtee, Ndoye struggled to produce anything of note.
Sub – Murillo (77') – 3/10
Dyche's second roll of the dice, Murillo provided defensive solidity for the final 10 minutes or so.
Sub – Zach Abbott (80') – 6/10
A huge night for the young man, Abbott was thrust straight into the action at right-back and put in a more-than-impressive cameo.