Draw at Crystal Palace hinders Forest's push towards top five ranking

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Title: Nottingham Forest's Champions League dream hit by tough draw against Crystal Palace

It was a rough night for Nottingham Forest as their UEFA Champions League aspirations faced a massive setback with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace. This result left a hugely damaging scar on their dreams, as the draw puts them two points behind their top-five rivals, with only three games left on the calendar.

The match at Selhurst Park was a must-win for Forest to keep pace with their peers, but a second-half penalty from Eberechi Eze gave Palace the edge, while Murillo's quick reply couldn't rescue a victory for Forest. Now, Forest's ambition to grace Europe's elite club competition for the first time since the 1980-81 season looks more like a distant dream.

Forest currently sits in sixth place, with sixth-place Chelsea and fourth-placed Newcastle United just ahead, and Manchester City three points ahead of Forest. The home stretch for Forest includes games against Leicester City and West Ham United before a potential final-day faceoff against Chelsea.

"We controlled the game and dominated play," said Forest's head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. "The second half was different, but Palace has that counterattack danger that we must avoid. We were positive, but playing at Selhurst Park isn't easy."

Unfortunately, Forest was without injured winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who supported the away fans instead. The early stages leaned in Palace's favor, with some impressive interplay between Eze and Adam Wharton, capturing the attention of England manager Thomas Tuchel.

Forest grew into the game, creating opportunities such as Elliot Anderson's missed chance from a deep Nicolas Dominguez cross, and a near-goal from a trademark counterattack featuring Dominguez and Chris Wood teeing up Anthony Elanga a minute before halftime.

Wood almost scored the opening goal early in the second half, but Maxence Lacroix's block kept it out. Eze converted the penalty in the 60th minute after Mitchell was brought down by a combination of Dominguez and Selz. Wharton was substituted off with an ankle injury, as Palace head coach Oliver Glasner sought to keep his influential midfielder safe before the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

The equalizer came soon after, with Murillo redirecting Neco Williams' shot past Henderson in the 64th minute. Unfortunately for Forest, they had to play catch-up in the second half, and they ran into a bit of luck at the end as Eze clipped the crossbar with a long-range curler and Eddie Nketiah was flagged offside in a late chance for Palace.

Despite the setback, the race for a top-five finish remains tight and competitive, with minimal separation between several contenders. Forest's fate is now reliant on results elsewhere while focusing on making the most of their remaining winnable fixtures.

Eberechi Eze's successful penalty kick in the second half provided Crystal Palace an edge against Nottingham Forest, potentially endangering Forest's hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League since the 1980-81 season.
Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest's head coach, was disappointed with the outcome, acknowledging that playing at Selhurst Park is challenging and that they must improve their tactical play against Palace's counterattacks.
Despite the draw, Forest still has a chance to secure European football next season, as they're in sixth place, just behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, with Leicester City, West Ham United, and potentially Chelsea remaining on their schedule.
In the midst of these crucial matches, Forest must face the challenge of playing without injured winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, while keeping tabs on the performances of their Premier League competitors in the European leagues.