Match report: Forest 2 United 2

Ruben Amorim's side took a first-half lead into the break, on the one-year anniversary of his appointment as United head coach, after Casemiro headed home his third career goal against Forest to put us in front.

That advantage was wiped out soon after the interval however, as the home side scored twice in the opening five minutes of the second half, to go 2-1 up. Morgan Gibbs-White levelled the scores up, before Nicolo Savona put the hosts ahead.

Composure was kept by the Reds though, who got back on terms in the final 10 minutes through an extraordinary Amad volley, to salvage some reward from an entertaining encounter.

FIRST HALF 

Unchanged from last weekend's win over Brighton & Hove Albion, Ruben's Reds looked in sync again and settled on the ball as we eyed a quick start. An outside-of-the-boot pass from Amad to Bryan Mbeumo - similar to the one that set up the latter's recent goal at Anfield - got Mbeumo into a position to deliver a right-wing cross for Benjamin Sesko, who pulled away from Nikola Milenkovic in the middle but saw his right-footed attempt blocked by the Forest defender.

United asserted dominance on the ball in the moments after that third-minute opening, but the series of promising chances that followed would come entirely at the other end. Igor Jesus, up front for the hosts in the absence of talisman Chris Wood, had the first threatening effort after being found centrally by Callum Hudson-Odoi. It was thwarted by a diversion from Luke Shaw, in close attention.

Hudson-Odoi had created that opportunity after driving in from the left flank and his wing counterpart, Dan Ndoye, was soon doing the same from the right side. Instead of opting to pass like his aforementioned team-mate had done earlier, Ndoye let fly from range and saw his powerful shot parried over by Senne Lammens, who was taking no chances in the United goal.

With Forest settling in new head coach Sean Dyche's first home league game, Hudson-Odoi troubled again but shot over, shortly after midfielder Douglas Luiz had to go off with an injury. His replacement, Ryan Yates, was soon chasing Matheus Cunha in midfield, who drove through the middle of the park before finding Sesko, the Serbian smashing a right-footed strike wide of the near post from 25 yards out.

It would have been quite the goal, but United were yet to test Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Determined to change that, Bruno Fernandes came forward and found Amad out on the right flank, who seemed to shout Mbeumo away from the ball before picking up possession, dribbling in field and letting off a left-footed curler that Sels parried away on the stretch.

United had just began to affirm some more control again, when a deserved opening goal arrived after 34 minutes. Fernandes's inswinging corner from the left was inviting and converted with a thumping header by Casemiro, on target for the second successive game. There were questions as to whether the ball went out of play for the corner, but the Reds still had to make the most of the opportunity and did.

A searching ball that went from left to right and across our box kept Amorim's side alert having gone 1-0 up, before Mbeumo showed brilliant physicality to turn away from his marker and link up with Amad again on the right. This time, the Ivorian cut inside purposefully but rifled emphatically high and wide.

Some space looked to have opened for the Reds, but that was with the home side coming forward and intent on getting level again before the break. Ndoye had got in behind and looked poised to score before a strong stop from Lammens, who didn't know the offside flag was about to go up, and that was the half's last clear chance.

SECOND HALF 

It was so far, so good for United, but a slow start to the second half would be punished. Now attacking the famous Trent End of The City Ground, Forest came out with impetus and levelled just four minutes into the half, when Gibbs-White held off Amad to head Yates's delivery from the right beyond Lammens's fingertips and into the net.

A minute later, the hosts would complete a rapid turnaround that saw them nudge 2-1 ahead. Another ball in from the home side's right flank, this time deflected high up into the air, caused problems and was won by Jesus before falling into the grateful path of an unmarked Savola, ready to prod home his team's second goal.

Having led at the break, Amorim's side were behind by the 50th minute, but fighting back on the attack and aiming to net an immediate equaliser. A delightful ball to the back post from Amad was just behind Casemiro, who arrived looking to double his and United's tally for the day, but couldn't properly connect and handled, resulting in a Forest free-kick.

This was a real test of character for the Reds, who had started the half gingerly but not lost spirit. Mbeumo tested Sels after some good work down the left from Diogo Dalot, before a Fernandes strike - from an area that looked too far out to shoot - struck the base of the post and was poked narrowly off target by Casemiro.

The momentum of the contest continued to go back and forward, so next it was Forest's turn enjoy a sustained spell of pressure on our goal. Hudson-Odoi was the key man, first digging out a cross from the left that had Lammens scrambling across his goalmouth, and relieved to see a climbing Jesus head just wide at the back post.

Not long after, the former Chelsea winger had space to drive through the middle of the park and register an attempt of his own, which briefly looked to be creeping into Lammens's bottom right-hand corner, before drifting narrowly behind.

Entering the final 10 minutes, United needed something to turn the tide, and it was to be a moment of magic from Amad. Mbeumo's corner from the right was won again by Casemiro and, although Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu couldn't hook it home, the ball was cleared to the edge of the 18-yard area where the Ivorian waited to expertly volley it through a crowd of bodies and into the net.

That set up a grandstand finish under the lights in Nottingham, which Amorim's team came closest to snatching inside five added minutes. It was a corner that broke to Amad again, this time inside the penalty area on the left side. The Ivorian hit the ball on the up but saw his attempt cleared off the line by Murillo's knee, ensuring it finished 2-2.

MATCH DETAILS

Forest: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Douglas Luiz (Yates 14), Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White (c), Hudson-Odoi (Sangare 90+2); Igor Jesus (Awoniyi 78).

Unused subs: John Victor, Jair Cunha, Morato, McAtee, Hutchinson, Kalimuendo.

Booked: Ndoye.

Goals: Gibbs-White 48, Savona 50. 

United: Lammens; Yoro (Mazraoui 77), De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes (c), Dalot (Dorgu 68); Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko.

Unused subs: Bayindir, Heaven, Maguire, Mainoo, Mount, Ugarte, Zirkzee.

Booked: Mazraoui.

Goals: Casemiro 34, Amad 81.

Click here to buy tickets on general sale for the upcoming home games against Everton and West Ham United.