Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United – Preview, Lineups, Key Men And Score Prediction

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Inside Futbol

·25 August 2026

Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United – Preview, Lineups, Key Men And Score Prediction

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Leeds United travelled to the City Ground on Saturday for their Premier League opener and returned to Yorkshire with all three points after edging Nottingham Forest 1-0.

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The decisive moment arrived late in the second half when Anton Stach curled a free-kick into the back of the net, producing the quality needed to settle a contest in which little separated the two sides.

The two clubs are set to renew acquaintances tonight in the second round of the EFL Cup.

Last season, Daniel Farke’s side suffered a shock exit in the second round of the competition, bowing out to Sheffield Wednesday on penalties after the tie ended 1-1.

Forest went one round further, reaching the third round before Swansea City ended their run with a 3-2 victory.

Neither side has European football to contend with this season, and with Leeds looking more settled back in the top flight under Farke and Forest boasting a proven winner in Oliver Glasner, both could view the cup as a genuine opportunity to make their mark.

Leeds came within touching distance of the FA Cup final last season, reaching the semi-finals at Wembley before Chelsea halted their run with a 1-0 victory.

Nottingham Forest also enjoyed an impressive Europa League campaign, reaching the semi-finals before Unai Emery’s Aston Villa knocked them out and went on to lift the trophy, underlining what both sides can achieve with a favourable draw.

The Tricky Trees have backed Glasner, adding fresh faces, with Xaver Schlager bolstering the midfield and Ousmane Diomande adding further steel to the defence.

Leeds have also welcomed new faces to Yorkshire, reinforcing their backline with Tarik Muharemovic and Nico Elvedi, with the latter in contention to make his debut after joining the squad last week.

The weekend clash went the visitors’ way, but the Peacocks will need another polished display if they are to make it back-to-back wins over the Garibaldis.

With the tie coming in midweek, changes are likely, although Glasner will be desperate to get his first win and could still field a strong side as Forest look to make their mark in front of the home faithful.

Team News

Nottingham Forest must make do without Morgan Gibbs-White after his weekend injury, while Leeds United still miss Gabriel Gudmundsson and Willy Gnonto; Ilia Gruev is also out.

Predicted Lineups

Predicted lineups

Key Men

Nottingham Forest

Chris Wood was limited to five goals last season as a knee injury disrupted his campaign, but after getting minutes under his belt on Saturday, the striker could be in line for a bigger role when Nottingham Forest face the Peacocks again tonight.

With little separating the sides at the weekend and a set-piece ultimately proving decisive, Wood’s presence could give Forest an added threat from dead-ball situations. The striker, previously described as a ‘beast’ by a former Premier League defender, offers the kind of physical presence that could tip the balance in the Tricky Trees’ favour.

Xaver Schlager was Glasner’s first signing in through the door landing on a free and too could be given a greater role tonight under his former manager. The pair previously worked together at Wolfsburg, where the 28-year-old was entrusted with pulling the strings in midfield, and he could be handed the keys to the engine room once again.

Schlager registered four goal involvements for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga last season and will be eager to make an early impression at his new club.

Leeds United

Tarik Muharemovic has been one of Leeds’ standout performers in pre-season, capping his run with a goal in the 4-0 win over Augsburg before carrying that momentum into the weekend clash at Forest. The Bosnian towered at the back alongside Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon, helping form a solid back three, and could once again be pivotal in keeping the Garibaldis at bay after they struck the post twice in the opening fixture.

Leeds’ other new centre-back, Nico Elvedi, was only announced last week and could be in line for his competitive debut at Trentside tonight. The Swiss defender arrives with eleven seasons of Bundesliga experience behind him and could prove key in keeping Glasner’s attack at bay as Forest look to turn the tables and exact revenge for their weekend defeat.

Match Prediction

There was little to separate the two sides in their weekend meeting, with the Tricky Trees registering 12 shots to Leeds’ eleven but still coming away empty-handed, setting the stage for another closely fought contest.

However, with this being a midweek fixture and another Premier League game on the horizon at the weekend, rotation is likely to come into play.

With Farke already getting the better of Glasner at the City Ground, the Austrian tactician will be keen to turn the tables and could field a strong side as he targets his first win and looks to avoid back-to-back defeats.

A Forest win is well within reach as the Tricky Trees seek revenge against the Whites, with home advantage at Trentside offering an added edge after the supporters saw their side surrender all three points in the dying moments against Leeds.