Fulham, under the careful eye of Portuguese manager Marco Silva, delivered a strong performance on Saturday. They defeated Nottingham Forest, led by fellow countryman Nuno Espírito Santo, in a preseason friendly match. The game took place in Faro, Portugal, as both teams gear up for the upcoming Premier League season. Fulham walked away with a convincing 3-1 victory.
The match at Estádio de São Luís saw the London-based club take an early lead. Fulham, which finished 11th in the 2024-25 Premier League, opened the scoring after just 16 minutes. Welsh international Harry Wilson found the net with a beautiful chipped shot. It was a moment of pure class to get things going.
Marco Silva, now entering his fifth season in charge of Fulham, watched his team widen the gap just four minutes later. Wilson proved he was in top form, scoring his second goal of the match. This time, he curled in a direct free-kick from outside the box, leaving the Forest defense stunned.
Nottingham Forest, with Portuguese international Jota Silva, Angolan-Portuguese David Carmo, and former Benfica Brazilian Morato in their starting lineup, tried to fight back. Before the half-hour mark, Awoniyi had a strong attempt on goal. However, Fulham’s Bernd Leno made an excellent save, keeping Forest off the scoreboard.
In the second half, Fulham continued to press their advantage. Brazilian international midfielder Andreas Pereira came off the bench and quickly made his mark. He scored Fulham’s third goal in the 58th minute, pushing the lead to 3-0 and making it a tough climb for Forest.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s team finally found a way to respond in the 75th minute. Chris Wood, the English forward, managed to pull one back for Forest. This team finished seventh in the last Premier League season and is set to return to European competitions after 30 years.
Both clubs will continue their preseason training in the Algarve region. They have more friendly matches lined up for Wednesday. Nottingham Forest will face Estoril Praia, a team from Portugal’s Liga Betclic. Meanwhile, Fulham is scheduled to play against Saudi club Al Ittihad.