Nottingham Forest finished their pre-season preparations this evening at Meadow Lane versus La Liga heavyweights, Valencia, coached by legendary Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.
Steve Cooper named a starting line-up that included six players who featured at Wembley back in May and a first appearance in the Garibaldi for England international Jesse Lingard who joined the club last week on a free transfer.
The first opening of the game fell to the visitors when a smart exchange of diagonal passes opened the Reds backline and saw Goncalo Guedes run through on goal and unleash a strike. However, Dean Henderson reacted quickly as he was able to keep the shot out at his near post.
The game started at a frantic pace and Forest had a chance of their own moments later when Lingard connected sweetly with the ball from the edge of area but his shot zipped just wide of Giorgi Marmardashvili’s post as he scrambled across his goal.
Chances presented themselves at each end of the field throughout the opening 20 minutes of the match. The best of these fell to our opposition when Marcos Andre was denied by a brilliant block from Joe Worrall who put his body on the line to keep the game goalless.
The opening almost came in the 25th minute, when Neco Williams played a ball over the top to Brennan Johnson whose lightning pace left the oncoming Marmadashvili in no-mans land as he took the ball around him 30-yards from goal and into the right hand channel. Johnson was able to find the rising head of Sam Surridge with an inch-perfect cross, but he could only steer the ball onto the upright and away from goal.
The first half was end to end with chances aplenty for each side. Andre had another chance to open the scoring once again following a well worked one-two in the Forest box. However, he scuffed his shot as the ball rolled well wide of Henderson’s goal.
The deadlock was broken shortly before the interval when Carlos Soler smashed the ball home from 12-yards out following a late run into the area.
Half Time: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Valencia
The half time interval did little to quell the hectic nature of this fixture as both sides bolted out the blocks once again much to the delight of everybody in attendance. At times it was easy to forget that this was in fact a pre-season friendly with its energetic tempo and heated temperament.
The first substitution of the evening came on the hour mark when Sam Surridge made way for club record signing Taiwo Awoniyi.
The Reds could have levelled the score when Awoniyi met Williams' free-kick, however, the connection was not as clean as he would have liked and trickled into to the hands of substitute goalkeeper Jaume Domenech.
Henderson has been impressive for the duration of pre-season and showed his class once again in the closing stages when he denied the close-range effort of Soler excellently with his legs.
Forest levelled the score in the 83rd minute of the tie when Awoniyi made a determined run down the left hand side before squaring the ball to the feet of the unmarked Johnson, who remained composed as he tucked the ball home delightfully from close range.
Full Time: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Valencia
FOREST: Dean Henderson; Joe Worrall (C), Steve Cook, Scott McKenna; Neco Williams, Harry Toffolo; Jack Colback, Lewis O’Brien; Jesse Lingard, Brennan Johnson, Sam Surridge
Goal: Johnson 83’
Substitutes: Cafú, Taiwo Awoniyi
Valencia: Mamardashvili, Correia, Musah, Paulista, Guillamon, Guedes, Soler, Castillejo, Diakhaby, Gaya (C), Andre
Goal: Soler 43’