Gibbs-White misses penalty as Forest held to goalless draw with Sturm Graz

Nottingham Forest were held to a goalless draw against Sturm Graz in their Europa League encounter at the Liebenauer Stadium on Thursday, with Morgan Gibbs-White missing a crucial first-half penalty.

Sturm Graz thought they had taken the lead just before the half-hour mark when Maurice Malone found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a brief celebration from the home fans.

In the 33rd minute, Forest were awarded a penalty after Emanuel Aiwu handled a cross inside the box. However, Gibbs-White’s effort from the spot was denied by Sturm goalkeeper Oliver Christensen, keeping the game level.

Both sides struggled to create clear chances in the second half, and the match ended 0-0 despite Forest’s dominance in possession and attacking intent.

Forest manager Sean Dyche expressed his disappointment over the missed opportunities, particularly in the first half.

“I think particularly in the first half, we were dominant—not just with the ball, but also with the chances created and the quality of those chances,” Dyche said.

“Other than the penalty, which is obviously a great chance, we had good opportunities from set-pieces and in open play, but we just didn’t capitalise.”

The Forest boss added that his side’s strong performance deserved more than a draw.

“There were some really good performances out there,” he continued. “You come away frustrated overall because I thought we were the stronger side. If we take those chances, the game opens up and we back ourselves to go and score again.”

Forest will look to convert their dominance into goals as they continue their Europa League campaign in the coming weeks.