Stach’s 88th-minute strike proved the difference at the City Ground, with the midfielder once again showcasing his ability from set pieces to send the travelling Leeds supporters into celebration.
And speaking after the final whistle, Ampadu was quick to praise his teammate, admitting he had hoped to get a touch on the delivery himself.
“He showed last year his quality,” Ampadu told the media. “He shows it every day in training. His free kicks are exceptional and, frankly, he put another one in the back of net today.
“I was hoping I could just get a little flick on it and maybe get my first goal this year! But no, we know his quality. He always backs himself to have a shot from anywhere. He shows that he is a quality player to do that.”
The victory gave Leeds the perfect start to their new Premier League campaign, with Farke’s side having to withstand spells of pressure from Forest before finding the decisive moment late on.
For Ampadu, securing three points and a clean sheet at a difficult venue was exactly what Leeds had been working towards throughout pre-season.
“It is what you work all pre-season for, to make sure you start the season off right,” he explained. “It doesn’t get better, maybe with a couple more goals, but it is a very tight game.
“It is going to be a difficult place to come. We know that from last season. We wanted to start off with a clean sheet and a win and, yeah, we got that today.”
The Leeds captain also highlighted the togetherness within the squad as a key factor behind the victory.
Having been tested by Forest during the contest, Leeds remained compact and continued to fight for one another before Stach’s late intervention ultimately settled the game.
Ampadu believes that mentality has been a major focus throughout the summer and could prove important throughout another demanding Premier League campaign.
“It was a big part of our pre-season, to make sure that the togetherness and that solidity was there,” he said.
“And I think when it showed there, maybe in the last 10 minutes, we are always fighting for each other no matter what is happening in the game.
“Whether we had a setback or not today, we would be there fighting for each other as we showed last year. So yeah, that solidity is one thing.”
Despite the encouraging opening-day result, Ampadu was keen to stress that Leeds cannot afford to become complacent.
The Whites have taken three points from one of the more difficult away fixtures they could have faced at the start of the campaign, but the captain knows there is still plenty of work ahead.
“Overall, it is a solid start but obviously there is a long season to go and we want to improve a lot on that!” Ampadu concluded.
With the points safely secured and a clean sheet recorded, Leeds could hardly have asked for a better beginning to the campaign, and with Stach continuing to provide moments of individual brilliance, Farke’s side already have one of last season’s biggest weapons firing again.
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