Leeds Stun Nottingham Forest with Late Free-Kick Victory

Anton Stach stunned the City Ground with an 88th‑minute free-kick as Leeds snatched a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest to open their Premier League campaign.

The German midfielder curled a low effort in from the edge of the area, beating Matz Sels at his near post and silencing a home crowd that had spent most of the afternoon expecting a very different outcome. Daniel Farke’s side, under pressure after last season’s brush with relegation, walked away with their first league victory at this ground since 1972. It felt like daylight robbery. Leeds won’t care.

Forest wasteful, Leeds ruthless

Oliver Glasner has spoken about pushing Forest into the top half this season. On this evidence, the old problems haven’t gone anywhere.

No new signings started. The patterns were familiar. Plenty of territory. Plenty of chances. No finish.

After a flat opening, Forest should have been ahead on 16 minutes. Ola Aina launched a long throw, Igor Jesus met it with a firm header and James Trafford had to fling himself full stretch to claw it away. The home fans roared for more. They got it, just not the goal.

Tension spiked moments later when Aina flew into a challenge on James Justin. A VAR check for serious foul play followed, but the tackle survived and the full-back stayed on. Forest kept pushing. Leeds, for long spells, just hung in.

When Harry Wilson slid the ball home midway through the half, the City Ground finally erupted – only for the assistant’s flag to cut the celebration short. The offside call was clear, the frustration less so.

That frustration deepened on 40 minutes. James McAtee swung in a superb delivery, Nikola Milenkovic met it with a glancing header and watched it crash against the post. The rebound dropped to Jesus, but he couldn’t sort his feet and the chance vanished. Forest went down the tunnel knowing they should have been in front.

One-way traffic, no end product

The pattern didn’t change after the restart. Crosses, chaos, and still no breakthrough.

Early in the second half, Aina again found Jesus in the box. The striker, unmarked and close in, mistimed his header badly, thumping it down into the turf and over the bar. Groans rolled around the stands. Glasner turned to his bench.

On came Chris Wood, and the New Zealander quickly found himself with the game at his feet. Murillo sliced Leeds open with a sharp through ball, Wood strode clear, but dragged his shot wide of the far post. Another big chance gone.

Leeds, pinned back for long stretches, finally reminded Forest they were still in the game. A set-piece delivery caused problems and Tarik Muharemovic rose highest, forcing Sels into a flying save to his right. It was a rare moment of attacking threat from the visitors, but it foreshadowed what was to come.

Forest hit back again. Milenkovic, dangerous all afternoon from dead balls, sent a looping effort towards the top corner, only for Trafford to get fingertips to it and tip it onto the crossbar. The home side kept knocking. The door never opened.

Stach strikes, Leeds steal it

So the punishment felt inevitable when it came – just not in the direction the home fans expected.

With two minutes of normal time left, Leeds earned a free-kick on the corner of the penalty area. Stach stood over it, the away end holding its breath. Instead of going high and spectacular, he went low and clever, skimming his effort around the wall and inside Sels’ near post.

The travelling Leeds supporters exploded. Players sprinted to the corner. A game they had largely endured rather than controlled now belonged to them.

Forest pushed desperately in the final moments, but the damage was done. Their wastefulness in front of goal, so costly last season, had returned on day one. Leeds, opportunistic and resilient, not only banked three points but also seized a psychological edge ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup rematch.

If Forest want that top-half finish under Glasner, they’ll have to find someone to finish days like this. Leeds have already shown what happens when you do.