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Nottingham Forest will be looking to avoid another defeat against Leeds United when the two sides meet in the EFL Cup at the City Ground on Wednesday.
The Tricky Trees opened their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to Leeds, and Oliver Glasner will be eager to see a response from his players this time around.
Leeds finished 14th in the Premier League last season, and Daniel Farke will be hoping to guide his side towards a top-half finish while also making a strong push in the domestic cup competitions.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United key stats
- Forest have not kept a clean sheet in their last five matches against Leeds.
- Each of Leeds' last eight matches has produced Under 10.5 corners.
- Each of Forest's last 10 matches has produced Under 4.5 cards.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United preview: Can the Whites pick up back-to-back wins?
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United — Tale of the Tape
| Nottingham Forest | vs | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| 15th | Position | 8th |
| 0 | Points | 3 |
| 0 | Goals For | 1 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 20th | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
Oliver Glasner's time at Nottingham Forest got off to a disappointing start with a defeat to Leeds in the Premier League opener, but the Austrian now has an opportunity to respond in his first cup game.
He is already the club's fifth manager in less than a year after replacing Vitor Pereira, but his recent success with Crystal Palace, where he guided the Eagles to the Conference League title, should give Forest hope that he can bring some much-needed stability to the City Ground.
The EFL Cup gives Glasner an opportunity to assess his squad, and he is expected to make several changes from the team that started the league opener.
Each of Forest's last 10 matches has produced Under 4.5 cards.
John Victor could replace Matz Sels in goal, while Ousmane Diomande may make his Forest debut. The home side are without Nicolo Savona and Ryan Yates, who are both sidelined with injuries, but otherwise, Glasner has a strong squad available.
Leeds could hardly have asked for a better start to the new campaign, beating Forest 1-0 at the City Ground while keeping a clean sheet.
The Whites have strengthened their defence this summer by adding goalkeeper James Trafford, and defenders Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemovic after the Yorkshire club conceded 56 goals last term.
Four of last five matches between the two sides have produced Under 4.5 cards.
Daniel Farke will have to manage several absences, with Wilfried Gnonto, Noah Okafor and Mateo Joseph unavailable, while Ilia Gruev remains sidelined with a knee problem.
Gabriel Gudmundsson is also a doubt, although Dan James, Sean Longstaff, Sam Byram and Largie Ramazani are all in contention to start.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United form guide & betting tips
| Nottingham Forest | vs | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
L |
Form | W |
| 0 | Goals For | 1 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 0 |
NA |
EFL Cup | NA |
Whispers predicts: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Leeds United
Leeds have won four of their last five meetings against Forest, and their disciplined display in the 1-0 victory gives them confidence heading into this cup tie. They are priced at 11/10 (2.10) to qualify, despite being slight outsiders.
Forest will be expected to respond on home soil, but Leeds have enough attacking quality to trouble them again.
The Whites have scored first in four of their last five matches against Forest, and are backed at 5/4 (2.25) to score first again, while BTTS – Yes at 7/10 (1.70) also looks a good option given the competitive nature of the fixture.
Four of Forest's last five matches have seen less than 11 corners, and Under 10.5 corners at 4/7 (1.57) is therefore worth considering.
The match could also become physical as both teams fight for a place in the next round, making Over 2.5 cards at 4/7 (1.57) another appealing selection.
> Leeds to score first at 5/4 (2.25) | Likelihood: Outsider
> BTTS – Yes at 7/10 (1.7) | Likelihood: Probable
> Leeds to qualify at 11/10 (2.1) | Likelihood: Outsider
> Under 10.5 corners at 4/7 (1.57) | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 2.5 cards at 4/7 (1.57) | Likelihood: Probable