Victory over Porto starts Dyche era
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 2025 Forest beat Porto 2–0 in Sean Dyche’s first match as head coach.
Sean Dyche’s first match as Forest head coach began with a European win that immediately changed the tone around the club.
Forest beat Porto 2–0 at the City Ground in the Europa League, ending a long wait for a European victory and giving the new manager the clean start he needed. After the instability that had preceded his appointment, the night carried more weight than a normal group-stage match.
Morgan Gibbs-White opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after a handball decision. Igor Jesus then added a second penalty late on, giving Forest the comfort of a two-goal lead and allowing the final stages to feel controlled rather than anxious.
The scorers mattered, but so did the structure of the result. Forest kept Porto out, won 2–0 and ended a 10-match winless run in all competitions.
The night gave Dyche a perfect debut, but it proved a high point rather than a sustained turnaround. He was dismissed in February 2026 after 114 days in charge.
Sources
Sky Sports; The Guardian; ESPN
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