Nottingham Forest were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Sturm Graz in the Europa League, extending their winless run to three games. Morgan Gibbs-White missed a first-half penalty, while Nicolas Dominguez hit the bar late on. Manager Sean Dyche praised his 'threadbare' side's effort despite injuries limiting their options.
Nottingham Forest traveled to Austria for their Europa League league phase match against Sturm Graz on November 6, 2025, and came away with a point after a goalless stalemate. The visitors dominated possession and created several chances but failed to convert, leaving them with five points from four games and in 18th place in the table.
Forest started brightly, with James McAtee firing narrowly wide in the 10th minute and Ryan Yates seeing a header cleared off the line. Sturm Graz had a goal disallowed for offside in the 27th minute when Maurice Malone tapped in a rebound. The game's turning point came in the 34th minute when Emanuel Aiwu handled in the area, but Gibbs-White's tame penalty was saved by Oliver Christensen to his left.
Before halftime, Tomi Horvat drew a save from Forest goalkeeper John Victor. In the second half, Yates went close early, while Ibrahim Sangare and Nikola Milenkovic also missed opportunities. Dominguez nearly won it late with a deflected drive that struck the crossbar.
Dyche made seven changes to his lineup due to injuries to players like Elliott Anderson, Douglas Luiz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Chris Wood, with striker Igor Jesus suspended. Arnaud Kalimuendo made his first start up front. Substitutions were cautious, with McAtee and Kalimuendo withdrawn to avoid further injuries—Dyche noted Kalimuendo's issue was likely cramp but risked muscle strain.
'I'm pleased in the sense of the effort and the physical side of the game,' Dyche said. 'We're obviously threadbare. We created so many good chances... that's the frustrating part because I think overall we should come away from here with a win.' Forest now prepare for a Premier League clash with Leeds United on Sunday, followed by a home Europa League game against Malmo on November 27.
