Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United - prediction, team news, lineups

Oliver Glasner’s reign arsenic Nottingham Forest caput manager begins connected Saturday day erstwhile his squad invited Leeds United to the City Ground for their opening fixture of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

The Tricky Trees claimed a 3-1 triumph implicit the Whites successful this nonstop fixture past play earlier losing by the aforesaid scoreline astatine Elland Road successful February.

Match preview

Preparing for beingness nether a 5th antithetic manager successful little than 12 months, Nottingham Forest participate the caller play with erstwhile Crystal Palace brag Glasner astatine the helm pursuing the exit of Vitor Pereira successful July aft conscionable 137 days successful charge.

Pereira steered the Tricky Trees distant from the relegation representation and up to 16th spot successful the Premier League past season, but Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis is present excited by a caller epoch nether Glasner, who won the Conference League, FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace.

Just 2 high-profile signings person been made by Forest this summertime (centre-back Ousmane Diomande and versatile midfielder Xaver Schlager), but Glasner expects “one oregon two” much players to get earlier the September 1 deadline, arsenic helium bids to physique a squad susceptible of challenging for astatine slightest a top-half decorativeness this term.

Five wins, 1 gully and 3 defeats were posted crossed 9 pre-season friendlies by Forest, who caput into Saturday’s Premier League opener having won their past 4 location league meetings with Leeds, boasting a 14-game unbeaten top-flight tally against the Whites astatine the City Ground (W7 D7).

Glasner has besides won his archetypal league lucifer successful complaint with 4 of his 5 erstwhile clubs (L1), though each of the past six imperishable Forest bosses has suffered decision successful their archetypal Premier League lucifer since Dave Bassett led the Tricky Trees to a 1-0 distant triumph implicit Tottenham backmost successful March 1997.

Leeds ended the erstwhile run successful affirmative manner nether caput manager Daniel Farke, who steered the nine to the FA Cup semi-finals and oversaw 8 wins, 12 draws and lone 5 defeats crossed 25 Premier League games aft switching to a backmost three/five enactment successful December.

The Whites person since enjoyed an eye-catching pre-season this summer, beating Sunderland (1-0), Liverpool (4-2) and RB Leipzig (2-0) arsenic good arsenic holding Man United to a 1-1 draw, earlier thrashing Augsburg 4-0 successful their astir caller affable past weekend.

Seeking to unafraid a top-half decorativeness successful the Premier League for the archetypal clip since 2020-21, Leeds person spent conscionable implicit £80m to fortify their squad with 4 caller arrivals truthful acold this summer, and Farke is keen to “add a spot much prime successful antithetic areas” earlier the transportation model slams shut.

A beardown commencement to the caller Premier League play is desired by a Leeds outfit who person mislaid their opening fixture successful conscionable 2 of their past 18 top-flight campaigns (W9 D7), suffering decision to Liverpool successful 2020-21 and Manchester United successful 2021-22.

Leeds question to the City Ground this play having mislaid lone 2 of their last 12 Premier League distant matches (albeit winning conscionable 1 and drafting the remaining nine). However, lone relegated duo Wolves (six) and Burnley (nine) collected less points connected the roadworthy past play than the Whites (15).

Nottingham Forest pre-season form:

Leeds United pre-season form:

Team News

Nottingham Forest volition beryllium without skipper Ryan Yates (unspecified) and defender Nicolo Savona (knee) arsenic they proceed to retrieve from injury, the second has suffered a insignificant setback successful his recovery.

Glasner’s back-three strategy is acceptable to beryllium deployed, with £34m signing Diomande hoping to marque his debut astatine centre-back alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo, portion Ola Aina and Neco Williams run arsenic wing-backs.

Schlager volition beryllium pushing to commencement successful centre-midfield alongside Ibrahim Sangare, portion prima antheral Morgan Gibbs-White could nexus up with Igor Jesus successful down ex-Leeds striker Chris Wood.

As for the Whites, left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, attacker Willy Gnonto and goalkeeper Lucas Perri are each ruled retired with thigh injuries, portion Ilia Gruev (knee) is presently a doubt.

Summer signing Tarik Muharemovic impressed during pre-season and is expected to marque his afloat debut astatine centre-back alongside Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon, with club-record signing James Trafford starting successful goal.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored a team-high 15 goals for Leeds past season, is expected to pb the line, with caller enlistee Harry Wilson and Brendan Aaronson hoping to get the motion to commencement successful precocious roles up of Noah Okafor and Lukas Nmecha.

Nottingham Forest imaginable starting lineup:

Sels; Diomande, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Sangare, Williams; Gibbs-White, Jesus; Wood

Leeds United imaginable starting lineup:

Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin

We say: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds United

Having caught the oculus with their stellar pre-season performances, Leeds could beryllium to beryllium a large headache for a transitioning Nottingham Forest team, inactive adapting to Glasner's caller tactical system, connected the opening weekend.

The disciplined visitors are well-equipped to stifle the hosts' attacking menace and they whitethorn person what it takes to grind retired a surprise, slender triumph connected distant soil.

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