MIDTJYLLAND rained on Nottingham Forest’s parade for the second time this season.
The Danes won 3-2 at the City Ground in the Europa League group stage in October when Ange Postecoglou was Forest boss.
But they returned for a last-16 first leg to seal yet another victory – and take a crucial one-goal lead during a torrential second-half downpour.
Frustrated Forest created a string of chances to open the scoring.
But Midtjylland had already hit the bar before sub Gueseng Cho grabbed an 80th minute winner.
Cho headed home ahead of Forest defender Ola Aina as he connected with Ousmane Diao’s cross.
But with Forest in the middle of a relegation battle, the last thing boss Vitor Pereira wanted was to go to Denmark next week needing two goals to make the quarter-finals.
Despite Pereira’s concerns about recovering in time for Sunday’s vital Premier League clash with Fulham, he named a strong side.
Forest were on the back foot after only three minutes and Murillo had to make a hasty clearance from a close-range Junior Brumado header.
And there was an early blow for Pereira as defender Jair Cunha was forced to limp off injured with eight minutes gone.
But Forest almost took the lead after 20 minutes when Omari Hutchinson’s powerful drive was superbly saved by keeper Elias Olafsson.
Both benches had to be spoken to by ref Matej Jug after a heated exchange of words between Pereira and Midtjylland boss Mike Tullberg.
Igor Jesus put a shot wide from close range and Olafsson needed to be alert again as he tipped a 25-yard drive from Elliot Anderson over the bar.
But Morgan Gibbs-White should have scored when he poked Hutchinson’s cross inches wide.
And Midtjylland almost took the lead in the deluge when sub Valdemar Andreasen’s shot was kept out by keeper Matz Sels.
And moments later, Andreasen gave Forest another scare with a shot that crashed against the bar.