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New Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner will look to start his side's pre-season campaign in strong fashion, with their first test to come on Saturday against hosts Notts County at Meadow Lane.
After finishing 16th in the Premier League last term, Glasner must use the next period of friendlies to address his team's frailties, whereas their hosts will hope that their pre-season can fuel a successful campaign in League One in 2026-27.
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.
Notts County vs Nottingham Forest key stats
- Notts County have conceded five goals in their last two friendly fixtures.
- Both teams scored in four of Nottingham Forest's final five games of 2025-26.
- Forest have led at half time in just two of their last six matches.
Notts County vs Nottingham Forest preview: Nottingham Forest aiming for stability
Notts County vs Nottingham Forest — Tale of the Tape
| Notts County | vs | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
| 5th (League two) | Position | 16th (Premier League) |
| 80 | Points | 44 |
| 74 | Goals For | 48 |
| 52 | Goals Against | 51 |
| 13 | Clean Sheets | 9 |
| 5th | Home / Away Rank | 9th |
Notts County will be competing in the third tier of English football for the first time in 12 seasons, with the club successfully navigating League Two's playoff system.
A 2-0 Wembley victory over Salford City in May capped off an impressive 2025-26 from boss Martin Paterson, who guided his club to a fifth-placed finish with 80 points, eight more than his side mustered in 2024-25.
The Magpies have already played three pre-season fixtures, the most recent of which was a 3-1 loss to Randers FC on July 14, and that was their second defeat in a row.
Notts County have only met the visitors five times since 2012, with all of those clashes coming in friendlies, though Forest won three of those matches while avoiding defeat in the other two meetings.
Nottingham Forest endured one of the strangest seasons in recent Premier League history, finishing five points above the relegation zone in 16th, reaching a European semi-final and using four different permanent managers across the campaign.
After dismissing Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche, it was not necessarily surprising to see owner Evangelos Marinakis also sack Vítor Pereira on June 30, though rumours that he was sacked via email just hours before a clause came into effect that would increase his compensation were astonishing.
Perhaps the Forest owner's decision was made as soon as he learned that former Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner would be available, and he will hope that the Austrian can guide the club back towards the European spots.
A number of academy prospects are likely to be involved on Saturday, while senior star Callum Hudson-Odoi is almost certain to miss out given he underwent surgery on a leg injury in the closing weeks of last season.
Notts County vs Nottingham Forest form guide & betting tips
| Notts County | vs | Nottingham Forest |
|---|---|---|
DWWLL |
Form | WLDLD |
| 9 | Goals For | 7 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 10 |
WLL |
Friendly form | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Notts County 1-3 Nottingham Forest
The disparity in quality between the two sides cannot be overlooked, and it comes as no surprise that Nottingham Forest are seen as the favourites.
Considering Notts County have been vulnerable defensively so far in pre-season, it may make sense to back Nottingham Forest to Score Over 2.5 Goals.
While Forest frequently scored at the end of 2025-26, they also frequently conceded, so there could be value in predicting Both Teams to Score on Saturday.
While there is a gulf between the two teams, Nottingham Forest failed to take the lead at the interval in four of their final six games of last season, and perhaps backing a Draw at Half Time could be an inspired bet.
> Over 2.5 Goals for Nottingham Forest | Likelihood: Possible
> Both Teams to Score | Likelihood: Possible
> Draw at Half Time | Likelihood: Outsider