Sean Dyche, Nottingham Forest's third manager of the season, seeks first Europa League win for club
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest hosts Porto in the Europa League later on Thursday, just two days after Sean Dyche became the club’s third manager of the season.
Struggling Forest is hoping for its first win in the competition. It only earned a point in the previous two games in the English team’s return to Europe after an absence of almost three decades.
Former Burnley and Everton manager Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou, who was fired in ruthless fashion on Saturday around 20 minutes after Forest’s 3-0 home loss to Chelsea that left the team in the Premier League relegation zone.
Postecoglou had only been in the job for 39 days and didn’t win any of his eight matches in charge, having taken over from the fired Nuno Espirito Santo.
Forest reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of the Europa League, in 1996.
Another Premier League club, Aston Villa seeks a third win from three games at the Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles.
Rangers hired former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl as coach on Monday, to replace Russell Martin, and his first game in charge will be a Europa League meeting with Brann in Norway. The Scottish club has yet to win a point.
Roma hosts Czech side Viktoria Plzeň, Real Betis travels to Genk and Maccabi Tel Aviv meets Midtjylland in Bačka Topola, Serbia.
Feyenoord's home game with Panathinaikos was initially switched from an evening to an afternoon kickoff because of a storm forecast. However, it has now been moved again to a 1900 GMT start.
In the third-tier Conference League, Crystal Palace plays AEK Larnaca in London.
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