Vitor Pereira has hailed his side's character and squad depth after Nottingham Forest secured a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Midtjylland to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. The Portuguese tactician expressed his delight at the performance of his fringe players as the club now prepares for a pivotal Premier League showdown against Tottenham.Forest beat their Danish opponents in Denmark on Thursday in a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out. While the hosts faltered under pressure, hitting the post twice through Cho Gue-sung and Aral Simsir before Edward Chilufya missed the target completely, Forest were clinical. Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare, and Neco Williams all converted their spot-kicks to secure a 3-0 shoot-out win and safe passage to the next round.With a massive Premier League relegation battle against Tottenham looming on Sunday, Pereira made the bold decision to make nine changes to his starting line-up. Despite the heavy rotation, the Forest boss was adamant that his team showed exactly why they belong on the European stage. Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, the manager highlighted the importance of managing his squad's fitness during a congested fixture list.“We are very happy and we proved we came here to compete. We have good players, talented players. We played fantastic in the first half,” Pereira said. “I’m very happy because we did everything, tried everything and I have a chance to balance the energy of the players to prepare the next game. Fantastic. I started to do the subs not because we were playing in a bad way, but to balance the energy and to be ready for Sunday.”The victory marks Forest’s first win since their play-off success against Fenerbahce, which also coincided with Pereira’s appointment. The manager believes the psychological boost of a European win will be vital as they return to domestic duties. He praised the collective mentality of the team, insisting that the squad possesses the necessary traits to navigate the difficult challenges that lie ahead in both the Europa League and the Premier League.“When we win it is different. The spirit is different, the energy is different. The boys deserved it because they are a fantastic group. Very good players, with team spirit, character, and we showed everything today,” Pereira added. “I don’t have any doubts we have the quality and will compete to achieve our targets, for sure. I want to thank our supporters because today they deserved to keep going in the Europa League.”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingRyan Yates, who has found starting opportunities limited this season, was a standout performer, scoring in normal time and seeing a potential winner ruled out for offside in extra time. His performance epitomised the fighting spirit Pereira is looking for as the season reaches its climax. Yates was quick to credit the entire squad for their togetherness and highlighted the significance of maintaining winning momentum ahead of the trip to North London.“I’m buzzing we’re through. Penalties always nervy, always tough, but the lads stepped up and we’re really pleased,” Yates said. “Considering the changes, it shows the strength in depth we have, the spirit. At this stage of the season it’s about showing that togetherness, fighting for each other. A lot of lads played today who haven’t had many minutes and a lot of them took their opportunities. That winning feeling is special. You want to keep that momentum going. Momentum at this stage of the season is huge. We need to recover well, focus on Tottenham and hopefully we can keep building and go and get those wins.”