Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche on the positive atmosphere inside the City Ground: "When you are on the side you don't hear every word, you hear a noise and you know if it's a positive noise or a negative noise.

"I'm not here to judge or question anything, just deliver what I can to the job. It's nice when they support you from the off, winning helps.

"These fans are pretty fair, win, lose or draw if they see a team out there wearing the shirt with pride and I think they'll accept that. To get it off with a good performance and a win is very pleasing for them. If they can accept me and my staff and what's going on that's got to be a bonus.

"Hopefully it will fast track the feeling around the ground."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

In the last European game at the City Ground, Forest fans chanted "sacked in the morning" at Ange Postecoglou, just his fifth game in charge.

Defeat to Midtjylland now feels the beginning of the end for the former Tottenham manager as fans snapped early and refused to accept him.

They streamed out of the stadium after Reece James' goal put Chelsea 3-0 up on Saturday, before Postecoglou was sacked, and owner Evangelos Marinkas had already left the stands just after an hour, having made up his mind.

Then there was resignation rather than anger, but on Thursday it was channelled into passion.

Pre-game Dyche had struck the right tone when tapping into what supporters needed and what they could buy into, speaking about Brian Clough's dog Del Boy running around his feet almost 40 years ago.

All of his backroom staff have connections with the club, including coaches Ian Woan and Steve Stone, who were in the Forest team the last tie they won in Europe, a 1-0 victory over Lyon in 1995.

Supporters responded with a fervent show of support for the ex-Burnley boss, roaring on the side even after they thought Jan Bednarek had levelled, before it was ruled out for offside.

Fireworks went off outside the City Ground following the final whistle after fans sung 'Forest are back', forging an early - and much needed - connection with Dyche.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White, speaking to TNT Sports: "I can finally breathe tonight. It has been a difficult couple of months with all the changes and the bad performances, so it was good to get our first win in eight or nine games. We are delighted to get the three points and I want to thank the fans for sticking by us.

"The gaffer said when he came in that last season we had a real identity, and he wants to build on top of that. I am just delighted that the boys got the three points and the win.

"You can feel the morale. It feels a lot more positive and it needs to stay like that. That's credit to the manager. He has instilled that in us, and we have to keep up that mentality."

Nottingham Forest

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche, speaking to TNT Sports: "Marvellous. It meant a lot. The players have been through a lot and the fans have but just to give something back to them. We have been with them for two days and they have applied that very quickly. It is a start. There is a lot more to come but it is a start. A good start.

"The shape was good and we had to make sure that we kept it but also with the ball, can we stretch them? We managed to find the balance and we will get fitter and sharper. It will take a little bit of time.

"I don't want to be a purist I want to play long and stretch teams. That gives you more room to play in. We had a chance second half to stamp our authority. It was nice that we got the second goal to settle it.

"We are very proud to be here with our past and connection to the club but that goes away quickly. To get a clean sheet and a win for the crowd and the players and give them a bit more belief was great."

On the improvement: "I said to the lads it is a start and there is a whole lot more work to go. Now we need to keep building and keep working. We can't think that's all the questions answered. It is a journey and that is a good start."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sean Dyche stood on the touchline and savoured the moment.

As the Nottingham Forest fans belted out Mull of Kintyre, their new manager looked around the City Ground to take it in.

Paul McCartney's song has been Nottingham Forest's anthem since 1978 after its release in 1977, as the club charged to the First Division title under Brian Clough.

Decades later, the club's third manager of this season will hope to hear it countless times following his opening win over Porto.

It has been 35 years since he left Forest as a young professional to join Chesterfield and Dyche revelled in the Europa League atmosphere.

"I'd waited a long time for that moment. As a young person here in '87 all I wanted to do was wear the shirt," he said.

"To come back as the manager is super pleasing and to stand there and absorb it, I've learnt in life sometimes you have to slow your thinking down and take it in.

"So many big moments in life have been so nerve-wracking they just go and suddenly they are finished. So I thought 'take it in and put it in the memory.'"

Right, that's your round-up of how the British sides got on last night. Let's get stuck into a bit of Nottingham Forest after a winning start to the Sean Dyche era...

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

Image source, Getty Images

Celtic staged an admirable second-half comeback to earn their first Europa League win of the campaign to see off 10-man Sturm Graz.

Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren struck within three minutes of each other as Brendan Rodgers' side clicked into gear in front of an appreciative Celtic Park crowd.

The defending Scottish champions came into this under pressure, having taken just one point from their opening two fixtures in this competition and on the back of a league defeat to Dundee on Sunday.

With challenging away ties to follow next month against Midtjylland and Feyenoord, three points seemed vital to get a foothold in the group phase table.

Celtic got what they wanted and Rodgers will hope it is a springboard to improved performances and results.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace's first home match in a major European competition proper ended in disappointment with a shock Conference League loss to AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park.

The Cypriot Cup winners struck in the 51st minute when Eagles defender Jaydee Canvot gave the ball straight to Marcus Rohden who teed up Riad Bajic to find the net with a powerful finish.

Substitute Eddie Nketiah should have levelled in a late rally from the hosts, but completely missed a loose ball from five yards out.

Palace, who had a strong starting XI, finished on top but were unable to break down Larnaca's resilient defence as they suffered a first home defeat in all competitions since February.

While Oliver Glasner's side are 16th in the table on three points, a second win in the competition for the visitors moved them joint top with Fiorentina.

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Scotland

Image source, Reuters

Aberdeen suffered their heaviest ever European defeat as they were humbled by AEK Athens in Greece and slumped a second consecutive Conference League loss.

The chastening contest eclipsed a 4-0 defeat by Liverpool in 1980, as well as 5-1 demolitions by Bayern Munich and Sigma Olomouc in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Despite a bright start in Athens for Jimmy Thelin's revived side, Aberdeen were always up against it, and it was the hosts who struck first when Aboubakary Koita fired a low strike from the edge of the box into the far corner of Dimitar Mitov's net.

The Scottish Premiership side were totally exposed in defence and Koita grabbed a second just seven minutes later when AEK hit them on the counter-attack and, again, the Mauritania international slotted into the far corner with ease.

Thelin's men were masters of their own downfall as a third goal went in before the clock struck 30 minutes. The visitors gave the ball away on the edge of their box and Nicky Devlin could only smash Niclas Eliasson's effort high into his own net.

An acrobatic finish from Razvan Marin gave the hosts a fourth goal, the 29-year-old Romanian flicking in over his head after Frantz Pierrot hit a post.

Former Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic got the fifth when he robbed Mitov in his own area and smashed high into the net.

Derek Kutesa made it 6-0 when he latched on to a long pass, deep inside the Dons half, and slotted beyond Mitov.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Rohl's first game as Rangers head coach ended in defeat as clinical Brann cruised past the meek Scots to leave them bottom of the Europa League table.

Strikes either side of half time by Emil Kornvig and Jacob Sorensen punished a Rangers team that missed chances of their own, before a late strike from the impressive Noah Holm piled more misery on the beleaguered visitors in Bergen.

Rohl was appointed as the Scottish Premiership strugglers' head coach just three days ago, so little in the way of tangible change was expected so soon, and the Ibrox struggles this season continued to plague them in Norway.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sean Dyche earned the perfect start as Nottingham Forest manager as penalties from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus downed Porto in the Europa League.

The spot-kicks earned Forest their first win since their Premier League opener in August, a first clean sheet since April and Dyche a debut victory following his appointment on Tuesday.

It has been a chaotic opening few months of the season for Forest after Ange Postecoglou was sacked on Saturday, just 39 days after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo.

While it was not instant calm amid the chaos at a boisterous City Ground, Dyche had restored belief and organisation before Gibbs-White scored from the spot on 19 minutes following Jan Bednarek's handball.

Jesus added a second from the spot with 13 minutes left, referee Radu Petrescu awarding the penalty after consulting his monitor having initially booked Nicolo Savona for diving under Martim Fernandes' challenge.

It meant Porto slipped to their first defeat of the season - the visitors had previously won 10 of their opening 11 games - not helped by having Bednarek's second-half effort ruled out by VAR for offside.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Emiliano Buendia missed a second-half penalty as Aston Villa fell to a shock Europa League defeat against a plucky Go Ahead Eagles side in Deventer.

Evann Guessand's early prodded finish had looked like being the precursor to Unai Emery's side maintaining their 100% record in the competition.

But the hosts drew level from Mathis Suray's deflected shot just before the interval and went ahead when Mats Deijl stole in just after the hour mark to lift the ball over Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

And when Buendia sent his spot-kick over in the closing stages after home defender Dean James had been penalised for handball the tight De Adelaarshorst stadium erupted with joy.

It ensured a famous victory for the Eredivisie side, who qualified for the competition by winning the Dutch Cup last term for their first major honour in 92 years.

As ever, we want to hear from you on all matters arising from a busy midweek of European action and the coming weekend in the Premier League.

Forest fans, what were your first impressions of how the side looks under Sean Dyche? Is it third time lucky in terms of the manager this season?

Are you Villa and Palace fans concerned by last night's losses or was it just a minor blip? And is there any way back for Rangers after another humbling defeat?

All that and more, get in touch by clicking 'Get Involved' at the top of this page.

Another working week is coming to an end but there is no chance of us easing up here - things are ramping up ahead of another hectic weekend of football!

A whole host of Premier League managers will be holding news conferences today, we'll bring you the best from each and every one of them with Eddie Howe and Arne Slot among the first up this morning.

But before we get stuck into that, we'll start by having a look back on last night's European action...