Nottingham Forest became the last team to qualify for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after defeating Ipswich Town in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after both regular and extra time on Monday at the City Ground in the Round of 16.
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Forest will now face Brighton, who won 2-1 after extra time (1-1 after regular time) against Newcastle on Sunday.
Nottingham, currently third in the league with 48 points, did not field their first-choice players, as manager Nuno Espírito Santo opted to rest them due to the team’s focus on qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League, especially against an Ipswich side that sits in 18th place, fighting relegation.
Ipswich took advantage of the opportunity and went ahead in the second half, with George Hirst scoring a header from a corner kick at the far post in the 53rd minute.
However, Ryan Yates capitalized on a defensive mistake to equalize with a header 22 minutes before the end of regular time.
Santo brought on some of his key players in the remaining 90 minutes as well as in extra time, but the score remained the same, leading to a penalty shootout. Belgian goalkeeper Mats Sels saved a crucial fifth penalty from Irishman Jack Taylor, securing Forest’s qualification.
Sels said: “In penalty shootouts, there’s always one goalkeeper who is the hero. I’m happy I was able to help the team progress to the next round. That was the only penalty where I went to the right corner!”
The quarterfinal draw saw Fulham paired with Crystal Palace, Preston North End facing Aston Villa, and Bournemouth set to meet Manchester City. The matches are scheduled for March 29 and 30 this year.
