Ola Aina endured a difficult evening with Nottingham Forest as they suffered a narrow defeat to FC Midtjylland in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash.
The Nigerian defender featured for 82 minutes and delivered a determined performance despite the disappointing result.
Aina showed his defensive resilience throughout the contest, winning four duels while also contributing offensively by creating one goalscoring opportunity for his teammates.
The encounter remained closely contested for most of the match, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock. However, the decisive moment arrived late in the game when Midtjylland capitalised on a well-worked attacking move.
In the 80th minute, Ousmane Diao delivered a precise assist into the penalty area, where Cho Gue-sung rose above the defence to head the ball into the net, giving the Danish side a crucial lead.
The goal proved enough to secure victory for the home team, putting Midtjylland in a favourable position ahead of the second leg of the knockout tie.
Despite the setback, Nottingham Forest will still have an opportunity to turn the tie around when both teams meet again in the return leg.
Aina and his teammates will be hoping to respond strongly and overturn the deficit as they aim to keep their European campaign alive.
