Nottingham Forest 2:1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Match Report

Gary RedknappFootball AnalystMATCH REPORT

Dan Ndoye struck inside four minutes as Nottingham Forest edged Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in a club friendly, the midfielder’s early goal setting up a narrow victory that now precedes a meeting with Stade Brestois on 16 August. Patrik Schick levelled for the Bundesliga side midway through the first half, but Arnaud Kalimuendo’s 90th-minute winner snatched the result for Forest in a match that never quite settled into rhythm.

The turning point arrived at the death, Kalimuendo converting with no assist in stoppage time after Schick’s 33rd-minute equaliser had cancelled out Ndoye’s rapid opener. Neither side forced a corner across the ninety, and with possession dead level at 50% apiece, the game was decided by rare moments of incision rather than sustained pressure, Forest’s early and late strikes proving decisive against a Leverkusen side that had clawed back parity before the interval.

On the numbers, the match was a statistical stalemate — equal possession and no corners for either team — so Leverkusen’s defeat owed more to timing than control, Forest outplayed for stretches yet winning on efficiency through two clinical finishes. Dan Ndoye was the standout with a 9.99 rating, his goal and midfield industry underpinning the upset. CheckLive’s model rated Leverkusen marginally ahead, but the result confirmed Forest’s resilience, with no live signals to contradict the flow.

Questions & Answers

What was the final score of Nottingham Forest vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen?

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Club Friendly Games).

Who scored?

Dan Ndoye (4') for Nottingham Forest; Patrik Schick (33') for Bayer 04 Leverkusen; Arnaud Kalimuendo (90') for Nottingham Forest.

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