Nottingham Forest have plenty of positives to reflect on during the international break after two big wins
11:10, 24 Mar 2026
Head coach Vitor Pereira celebrates Nottingham Forest's win over Tottenham Hotspur
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Head coach Vitor Pereira celebrates Nottingham Forest's win over Tottenham Hotspur(Image: Getty)
Head coach Vitor Pereira will be keen to make the most of a valuable international break after a big week for Nottingham Forest.
Courtesy of back-to-back wins in two different competitions, the Reds progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and pulled away from the Premier League relegation zone. With more than a fortnight until they return to action, Pereira will now get some much-needed time on the training ground with his squad.
Players will have an opportunity for rest and recovery, then the Forest boss will look to use the hiatus to get his ideas across. After all, his team have a big run-in ahead.
A trip to Portugal on April 9, for the first leg of their last-eight clash with Porto, awaits when the squad reconvenes. NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the key talking points ahead of a crucial few weeks for the Reds…
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Can Pereira continue to balance fighting on two fronts?
He’s doing a decent job of it so far! And it shouldn’t be underestimated how much of a difference the positivity and momentum generated by the past week can make.
Before the second leg of the last 16 clash with FC Midtjylland, plenty had written Forest off - even more so when the team news was announced. It wasn’t a line-up that particularly instilled a lot of confidence in being able to get the job done. Additionally, the general mood after the draw with Fulham prior to that was pretty glum.
But that’s where Pereira earns his crust. He got the best out of the players who took to the pitch in Denmark and managed the minutes perfectly, despite having extra-time to contend with. None of his key men ended up playing more than an hour.
To back that up with a terrific win over Tottenham Hotspur only added weight to the feeling that what Pereira is doing is working. Time on the training pitch over the next fortnight should only help further.
It is not job done on either front, of course. Forest will take positives from having beaten Porto already this season, in the league phase of the competition, but there is no doubt it will be a really tough tie.
Equally, the Reds still have seven massive games to go in the league and cannot afford to take their eye off the ball there. Things can change so easily over the course of just one weekend.
It continues to be a fine balancing act for Pereira, and he has admitted how difficult it is. After a big week, though, anything seems possible!
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How many points will Forest need to stay up?
It is still incredibly tight in the battle for survival. I thought Leeds United were all-but safe a few weeks ago, but they really aren’t yet. Forest are only one point behind them now.
The magic mark is usually seen as 40 points, but history has shown it usually takes less than that to stay up. It does seem like a high total might be required this year, though.
If Forest can get to 39 points, or even 38, that should be enough. Very heavy emphasis on the “should”!
After Sunday, that feels like an achievable target from the remaining seven games. It is amazing what one win (or two wins in two competitions in this case) can do; there is now a real buzz about the club.
Nevertheless, beating Spurs only counts for something if it is backed up. The standard has been set and the Reds need to keep hitting that level. Any drop-off and the little bit of breathing space they now have could be quickly wiped out.
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Who should be Forest’s No.1?
Pereira conceded he had a selection headache between the posts prior to the game against Spurs. With Stefan Ortega and Matz Sels both fit again, he has two solid goalkeepers to choose from.
Ortega has proved to be a fine bit of winter window business. As you’d expect for someone coming from Manchester City, he has pedigree and has shown he can slot straight in at Forest. His distribution has been good and he has made some decent saves when he has played.
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It hasn’t necessarily been a vintage year for Sels, certainly not compared to last season’s Golden Glove-winning efforts. Even so, he has come to the Reds’ rescue a few times, including on Sunday.
I can’t see how Pereira now drops Sels in the league after successive clean-sheets. Ortega should keep his place in the Europa League, though, and could prove to be key in the quarter-final against Porto.
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