Antony denies Ange Postecoglou first win as Forest frustrated on European return

The scoreline did not fully reflect Forest’s domination, however the nature of their opening goal — a tapestry of flowing football, finished by Igor Jesus — encapsulated their first-half supremacy. It was swiftly followed by Jesus’s second, a header this time.

“I like to play that kind of football,” Postecoglou said. “I think the moments when they’re constructed like that are things that make our game so beautiful.

“Not many teams will come here and create the amount of opportunities we did,” he added. “Some of our play was outstanding, we were just lacking that clinical edge.”

A point away from home is a solid start to a European campaign, especially in what is, on paper, Forest’s toughest away game in the league phase.

Yet they leave Spain with the feeling of an opportunity missed to deliver a statement victory.

As the teams were read out ahead of kick-off, The Imperial March, John Williams’s iconic score that accompanies the entrance of one of the greatest villains in cinematic history, Darth Vader, played through the speakers.

Forest are here representing the Premier League, the avaricious villainous league of Europe which collects the world’s footballing riches and leaves cast-offs for the rest of the continent.

Among Manuel Pellegrini’s XI were four Premier League alumni: Junior Firpo, Giovani Lo Celso, Sofyan Amrabat and Antony. The game passed all but Antony by — Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White, in comparison, looked a cut above.

The pair impressed for Forest under Nuno Espírito Santo, but Postecoglou may unlock a new dimension to their games.

The intricacies of his style celebrate their quick-thinking technical qualities and ability to see and execute actions that few others conceive of.

It took a short period for them and their team-mates to adjust to the surroundings and the warm, humid conditions, though — a little uneasiness ran through Forest, exemplified best (and punished) when Betis scored.

That first goal demonstrated one of those familiar chinks in Postecoglou’s tactical armour: Betis exploited one of the triggers in his pressing system, prompting Jesus to jump up, while his team-mates were too far behind him.

By the time Gibbs-White stepped up, Betis had played long to Antony on the right. He made a sharp pass inside to Cédric Bakambu, who blasted beyond Matz Sels at his near post.

That stirred Forest into action, with a goal to behold: Nikola Milenkovic passed to Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left touchline. Upon receiving the pass, Forest burst into motion. The winger jinked rightwards, dribbled past one, and passed into Oleksandr Zinchenko, who rotated into a No 9 position and laid the ball back, as Jesus rolled around him to open up a passing lane.

Anderson passed to Douglas Luiz, who circulated out wide to Gibbs-White, and the England international drilled a cross across the face of the six-yard-box for Jesus to walk on to.

It was stunning and left Betis dazed. Forest took advantage: from a corner on the left, Luiz crossed to Jesus, who capitalised unerringly.

Chances for a third, fourth and fifth were squandered in a fabulous flurry, with Jesus denied twice, and the ball bouncing off the post.

Three half-time changes by Pellegrini staunched the flow of chances, while Forest’s changes failed to provide a second wind as they fatigued and dropped deeper. They looked comfortable when Betis held possession until Marc Roca crossed beautifully for Antony’s unexpected equaliser.

Real Betis (4-3-3): P López — Á Ortiz, Natan, V Gómez, J Firpo (R Rodríguez 46min) — S Altimira (M Roca 46), G Lo Celso (P Fornals 76), S Amrabat — Antony, C Bakambu (C Hernández 72), A Abde Ezzalzouli (R Riquelme 46). Booked Natan, Rodríguez, Hernández.

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