Awoniyi scores as Nottingham Forest ease past Blackburn in Portugal friendly

Nottingham Forest stepped up their preparations for the 2026-27 Premier League season with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Championship side Blackburn Rovers in Portugal.

The friendly, played on Wednesday as part of Forest’s pre-season training camp in the Algarve, saw Taiwo Awoniyi among the scorers as Oliver Glasner’s side recorded a second successive win.

Igor Jesus opened the scoring shortly before half-time, before two rapid-fire strikes in the second period from Arnaud Kalimuendo and Awoniyi sealed a convincing result for the Premier League club.

Forest build momentum in pre-season

Forest travelled to Portugal looking to sharpen fitness and integrate tactical ideas under head coach Glasner ahead of the new campaign.

The win over Blackburn follows a 2-0 success away to Notts County on Saturday, giving the Reds back-to-back victories as they tune up for the season ahead.

With temperatures high in the Algarve, Forest fielded a strong side and gradually took control of the match against Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Blackburn team, who are preparing for another gruelling Championship campaign.

Jesus broke the deadlock as half-time approached, finishing off a well-constructed move to give Forest a deserved lead at the interval.

Quickfire goals seal the result

The second half saw Forest raise the tempo and make their superiority count.

Kalimuendo struck first after the restart, doubling the advantage with a composed finish to put daylight between the sides.

Awoniyi, who has been an important figure for Forest in recent Premier League seasons, then added a third soon after, continuing his encouraging pre-season form and underlining his importance to Glasner’s attack.

The Nigerian forward’s goal capped a commanding performance and left Blackburn with too much to do despite spells of competitive play.

Algarve camp continues with Sporting test ahead

Forest’s stay in Portugal is not yet over, with two more fixtures scheduled as part of their warm-up programme.

Glasner’s men are next set to play a behind-closed-doors match against Vitoria S.C., giving the coaching staff another opportunity to assess fitness levels and experiment with systems away from public view.

They will then face a sterner test against Portuguese giants Sporting CP on Friday 31 July, a game expected to provide a clearer indication of Forest’s readiness for the Premier League kick-off.

With results positive so far and key players such as Awoniyi getting on the scoresheet, Forest will hope to maintain momentum and further refine their style before returning to England to complete their pre-season schedule.