Martim Fernandes suffers injury after comical own goal in 'horrible evening' for Porto defender against Nottingham Forest – ‘That's astonishing’

React to this story

Porto's Martim Fernandes scored an "astonishing" own goal as Nottingham Forest were gifted a lifeline in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg. Under no pressure, the 20-year-old defender blindly passed the ball back to his goalkeeper, not realising that Diogo Costa was well outside of his area. The lapse in concentration puts Forest in the box seat heading into next week's second leg.

'Wants the ground to swallow him up!' - Bizarre Fernandes own goal gifts Forest equaliser at Porto

Video credit: TNT Sports

Score an own goal before getting injured? The only thing missing for Martim Fernandes was a red card on a night to forget for the young defender.

Porto's hopes of reaching the UEFA Europa League semi-finals suffered an ill-timed mishap as Nottingham Forest benefited from an extraordinary moment during Thursday night's first leg at the Estadio Do Dragao, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

The Portuguese hosts were leading through William Gomes' close-range opener after just 11 minutes, leaving Forest head coach Vitor Pereira seeking an immediate response from his players in the face of a hostile atmosphere against his former club.

Transfers

Anderson officially signs for Man City - 'One of the biggest clubs in the world'

23/07/2026 at 17:55

But nobody in attendance expected what occurred just two minutes later, as Porto gifted their opponents an equaliser under no pressure.

Playing the ball out on the halfway line, Fernandes turned back and sought to pick out his goalkeeper Diogo Costa - fully 45 yards out - but the Portugal international was stationed outside of his penalty area and the width of his goal posts, much to the dismay of the hapless 20-year-old defender.

Speaking at half-time, TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown said: "It's a gift. I'm not really sure what the player is doing, he's just blasted it back and got injured five minutes later. It's been a horrible evening for him."

'It's been coming' - Gomes taps home the opener for Porto against Forest

Video credit: TNT Sports

The forlorn Fernandes stood shell-shocked as he watched his back-pass fly into his own net as Porto head coach Francesco Farioli applauded his intentions, seeming to take accountability for wanting his players to retain possession.

Speaking from inside the stadium, TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher said: "That's how you get back in it. That's astonishing. Martim Fernandes cannot believe what he has just done. Diogo Costa, the captain, in goal. He wants the ground to swallow him up, the right-back."

Glenn Hoddle added: "You can talk all day long about tactics and whatever but my word he stumbles. There's the ball, he's just overweighted it, he's overhit it. I just don't know.

"The goalkeeper is way out of his penalty area, maybe he has got to be in his 18-yard box. The weight of pass is too much. The keeper, if he handles it and dives for it, he's sent off. At the end of the day you can talk about tactics and individual players but what a way to get back in the game."

Sadly for Fernandes, his evening didn't get any better.

Fernandes was replaced on 19 minutes to compound a horrible evening

Image credit: Getty Images

Just six minutes after the comical own goal, Farioli was forced into a change with his crestfallen defender suffering from an injury, if not embarrassment, after Dan Ndoye accidentally collided with his ankle while the Forest player attempted to evade a challenge from Gabri Veiga that ended with a yellow card for the Porto player.

Fletcher observed: "The fella who has just scored the own goal is now the one receiving lengthy treatment. It's 1-1 in bizarre circumstances.

"Porto's goal supremely made, the Forest equaliser an outright fluke. All Farioli could do is applaud the fella and try to lift him because he didn't do it on purpose. I don't quite know what you can do in the circumstances."

Better fortune would arrive in the second period for the home side, when Igor Jesus saw his goal chalked off for an apparent foul on Costa in the build-up, with VAR deeming there to have been dangerous play from the Brazilian forward.

The game would end 1-1, leaving Forest feeling confident of progressing to a first European semi-final in more 40 years when they host Porto in the second leg next Thursday - but it remains to be seen if Fernandes has the chance to redeem himself as he battles to prove his fitness.

Forest have already beaten Porto 2-0 at the City Ground earlier this season during the league phase, and are now in the box seat to reach their first European semi-final since 1984.

They could well meet Aston Villa in an all-English affair with Unai Emery's side in pole position to progress having impressively won 3-1 at Bologna in their first leg.

Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Premier League