Get the best Nottingham Forest vs Leeds predictions, bet builder tips, lineups, and match odds ahead of this Premier League clash. Find top betting insights.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Match Summary
Competition | Premier League |
|---|---|
Match Date | Saturday 22 August 2026 |
Match Time | 15:00 UK time |
Venue (City, Stadium) | Nottingham, The City Ground |
The Premier League is back and Nottingham Forest host Leeds at The City Ground on the opening weekend, with both sides desperate for a fast start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Oliver Glasner takes charge of his first competitive Premier League fixture as Forest boss, tasked with lifting a side that endured a difficult time of it at home last season.
Leeds arrive off the back of a summer of real activity, with James Trafford and Harry Wilson through the door, and there is genuine optimism around the club heading into this one.
The visitors have lost each of their last four trips to the City Ground, so the head-to-head record on this ground gives Forest something to lean on early doors.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Form
Forest are undefeated in nine of their last ten Premier League matches, a run that flatters a side who finished 16th last term. Ousmane Diomande slots into the back three alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, while summer arrival Xaver Schlager freshens up the engine room ahead of Glasner's first outing.
Leeds ended last season with just one defeat in their last nine top-flight outings and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, finishing 14th overall. A productive window has added James Trafford in goal and Harry Wilson in attack, and both new signings are set to feature at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Lineups & Team News
Injuries & Suspensions
Nottingham Forest: Nicolo Savona (Injured/out)
Leeds: Wilfried Gnonto (Injured/out), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Injured/out), Ilia Gruev (Injured/out)
Nottingham Forest
Forest have just the one concern, with Nicolo Savona sidelined by a back problem until the middle of September. Glasner sticks with his back three, so Ousmane Diomande lines up alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. Xaver Schlager, a free transfer from RB Leipzig, comes into midfield in place of Elliot Anderson.
Leeds
Leeds are without Wilfried Gnonto and Gabriel Gudmundsson, both nursing similar issues, while Ilia Gruev is a long-term absentee with a knee injury. Summer signings James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson are all set to start at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Predicted Lineup
Nottingham Forest
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Predicted Starting Lineup: Sels; Murillo, Milenkovic, Diomande; Williams, Sangaré, Schlager, Aina; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Jesus
Leeds
Formation: 3-4-3
Predicted Starting Lineup: Trafford; Muharemovic, Bijol, Rodon; Justin, Ampadu, Stach, Bogle; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Wilson
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Key Stats & Match Facts
Nottingham Forest are undefeated in nine of their last ten Premier League matches.
The Win Market hit rate has Forest landing a home victory in five of their last ten matches against all opponents.
The last six meetings between the sides are split three wins apiece, with no draws.
Leeds completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City this summer.
Nottingham Forest strengthened with Ousmane Diomande and Xaver Schlager during the summer window.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Prediction & Best Bets
Our prediction: Forest are marginal home favourites and this shapes up as a tight opener. We fancy the hosts to edge it at The City Ground, but with both attacks capable of finding the net, a low-scoring home win with goals at both ends looks the sensible read. Nottingham Forest 2-1 Leeds.
Best Bets
Both Teams To Score - Yes in the Both Teams To Score market. The projected scoreline points to two productive attacks going at reshaped defensive lines, and with better than a coin-flip implied probability of both sides netting, there is real value in backing goals at both ends.
Nottingham Forest to win and Under 3.5 Goals in the Match Result and Over/Under 3.5 market. Forest are the favoured side on home soil and the projected total sits comfortably under three and a half goals, so pairing a controlled home win with a capped scoreline lines up neatly with how we see the fixture playing out.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Bet Builder
Our four-leg bet builder leans on the head-to-head form of a couple of familiar faces, combining Dominic Calvert-Lewin shots markets with cards and shots on target from either camp.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin Over 0.5 shots on target is the anchor, with the striker recording at least one on target in each of his last four outings against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Neco Williams to be shown a card looks a fair addition, given the full-back has been carded in two of his last three appearances against Leeds in the Premier League.
Back to Calvert-Lewin for the third leg, with Over 1.5 shots landing in each of his last four matches versus Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Morgan Gibbs-White Over 0.5 shots on target rounds it off, the Forest man hitting the target in four of his last five appearances against Leeds in the Premier League.
At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 25/2 and is as short as 17/2 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of £46 from best to worst price.
Make sure to get the best odds on your Bet Builder with Oddschecker's Exclusive Bet Builder Comparison Tool.
Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Talking Points
The big storyline is the arrival of Oliver Glasner, who joined Forest after winning the FA Cup and UEFA Conference League during his time at Crystal Palace. He inherits a squad shorn of Elliot Anderson and a home record that badly needs fixing, so an opening-day statement would settle nerves quickly. Leeds, meanwhile, enter their second consecutive Premier League season since promotion in 2025 and will fancy their hand given how strongly they finished last term. With the sides having shared the last six meetings three apiece, but Leeds losing each of their last four visits to the City Ground, there is plenty riding on this one.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Predictions FAQs
What is the prediction for Nottingham Forest vs Leeds?
Check our full match preview for in-depth analysis and predictions for Nottingham Forest vs Leeds ahead of their Premier League fixture.
What are the best bets for Nottingham Forest vs Leeds?
Explore our expert bet builder tips and top value picks for Nottingham Forest vs Leeds directly in the main article section.
Where can I find Nottingham Forest vs Leeds team news and lineups?
Probable starting lineups and injury updates for both Nottingham Forest and Leeds are detailed in the team news section of our match preview.
Where is Nottingham Forest vs Leeds being played?
The Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Premier League match will take place at The City Ground in Nottingham.
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