- 1 Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: a goal-heavy fixture and a brand-new bench at the City Ground
- 2 Nottingham Forest: a season to fix, but real firepower remains
- 3 Leeds United: plenty of grit, but they travel badly
- 4 Premier League prediction Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: a goal-heavy fixture and a brand-new bench at the City Ground 
The last two meetings between these clubs both finished 3-1, one apiece: Forest won at the City Ground on November 9 2025, Leeds hit back at Elland Road on February 6 2026. None of the last five clashes have been won by the away side.
That shapes the contest. Home advantage has always mattered in this matchup, and Forest have won three of the last five meetings.
Go back further and the pattern holds. Leeds won 2-1 at home in April 2023, after a 1-0 Forest win at the City Ground two months earlier, and the two sides also met in the Championship in February 2020, when the Tricky Trees came out on top 2-0.
The goals market reflects that attacking consistency. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 10/11, while both teams to score sits at 4/6, short prices for an opening-day game.
But the wider picture has changed completely for the hosts. Oliver Glasner takes charge of his first competitive game on the Nottingham Forest touchline after leaving Crystal Palace, where he won the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League.
The club’s message is clear: chase silverware with a manager who has already stacked up three trophies. It is a major reset, and it lands at the worst possible time, right on opening day.
Leeds, meanwhile, finished last season in 14th with 47 points, staying up the hard way. Elland Road remained a fortress, but away results were a different story altogether.
Kick-off is on Saturday August 22 at 15:00 UK time, 16:00 in France, at the City Ground. The bookmakers make Forest narrow favourites at 5/4, which is 2.25.
Nottingham Forest: a season to fix, but real firepower remains 
Forest finished the 2025-26 season in 16th with 44 points, a long way off the standards they had set the year before. For much of the campaign, they were looking over their shoulders rather than up the table.
That slide was driven first and foremost by the back line. Defending was a mess for large spells, and that is exactly the area Glasner has been brought in to sort out this summer.
Up front, though, the structure is still there. Chris Wood remains the focal point, while Morgan Gibbs-White carries the creative load in the final third.
Gibbs-White is also the midfielder who shoots most often in this squad. His willingness to break forward gives Forest a second wave of attack that most lower-half sides just do not have.
The bookmakers have taken notice in the side markets. Chris Wood to score at any time is priced at 7/5, the most heavily backed option among the forwards on both sides.
There are three fitness doubts hanging over the line-up. Callum Hudson-Odoi is managing a thigh problem, Nicolò Savona has a knee issue, and Christopher Wood remains under observation until the last minute.
The City Ground is still their best asset. Forest have won their last two home games against Leeds, and Glasner knows what a crowd onside can do for a side still finding its rhythm.
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Leeds United: plenty of grit, but they travel badly 
Leeds ended up 14th with 47 points, three clear of their opponents here. They stayed up without ever really shaking off the danger.
Dependence on Elland Road defined their campaign. Most of their points came at home, while away from home the returns were far less convincing.
That makes the opening fixture a stiff one. A trip to the City Ground to start a season in which Leeds are aiming higher is exactly the sort of test they failed last year.
Going forward, Dominic Calvert-Lewin brings the aerial threat, Joel Piroe offers the finishing touch in the box, and Anton Stach links the play from midfield.
The key concern sits at the base of midfield. Ethan Ampadu does most of the defensive heavy lifting and picks up a steady stream of yellow cards, which leaves Leeds exposed whenever he is missing.
Even so, there is little between these teams in the table. Just three points separated 14th and 16th last season, so the gap in the odds looks more about venue than any real gulf in quality.
The injury list is not helping. Gabriel Gudmundsson is out with a thigh injury, while Lucas Perri, who has a wrist issue, and Ilia Gruev, who has a knee problem, are both doubtful.
Probable Nottingham Forest XI: Sels ; Milenković, Diomandé, Murillo, N. Williams ; Schlager, Sangaré ; Aina, Gibbs-White, Ndoye ; Igor Jesus
Probable Leeds United XI: Trafford ; Muharemović, Bijol, Rodon, Justin ; Ampadu, Stach ; Bogle, Aaronson, H. Wilson ; Calvert-Lewin
Premier League prediction Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United
Our pick: Nottingham Forest to win
The first reason is the venue. Forest have won three of the last five meetings and their last two home games against Leeds, including that 3-1 win in November 2025 that is the most recent reference point at the City Ground.
The second is the shape of the two squads. Leeds travel without Gudmundsson and with two starters doubtful, while Forest only have minor question marks over rotation players.
At 5/4, or 2.25, the price is still appealing for a side at home, with the recent record in their favour and a manager arriving off the back of three trophies in 18 months. Forest to win is the call.
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