Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Prediction, Lineups, Betting Pick, Latest Premier League Odds - Saturday, August 22nd
Nottingham Forest and Leeds lock horns at the City Ground, with the hosts sitting 18th in the early Premier League standings and the visitors positioned in 13th.
OC Staff - August 22, 2026, 8:50 AM EDT
3 Minute ReadNottingham Forest vs Leeds: Lineups, Team News and Prediction
Nottingham Forest and Leeds lock horns at the City Ground, with the hosts sitting 18th in the early Premier League standings and the visitors positioned in 13th. This highly anticipated clash kicks off at 10 AM ET on Saturday, August 22nd, as both sides look to establish early-season momentum in the top flight.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Form
The Tricky Trees head into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over French side Brest in their final pre-season outing. The hosts enjoyed a mixed warm-up campaign, securing three wins, one draw, and suffering two defeats across their last six friendly matches. Nottingham Forest are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 matches in the Premier League, a formidable top-flight run they will be desperate to extend this weekend.
Leeds, meanwhile, enjoyed an emphatic end to their pre-season preparations, dismantling German outfit Augsburg 4-0. The Yorkshire club showed impressive form over the summer, registering four victories, a draw against Manchester United—which they subsequently lost on penalties—and just a single defeat against Wrexham in their last six fixtures.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Head to Head
The last competitive meeting between these two historic clubs saw Leeds secure a convincing 3-1 victory at Elland Road in February 2026. Over their last six encounters, there has been nothing to separate the sides, with the head-to-head record perfectly balanced at three victories apiece, indicating just how closely matched these rivals remain.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Odds
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Saturday, August 22nd, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM ET
- Where to Watch: NBCSN, Peacock
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Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Probable Lineups
Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels; Murillo, Milenkovic, Diomande; Williams, Sangaré, Schlager, Aina; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Jesus
Leeds (3-4-3): Trafford; Muharemovic, Bijol, Rodon; Justin, Ampadu, Stach; Bogle; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Wilson
The tactical battleground will likely be won or lost in transition. The home side's back three, anchored by Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, must remain disciplined to nullify the threat of Leeds' dynamic front three, which features new signing Harry Wilson and target man Dominic Calvert-Lewin. In the engine room, the battle between Forest's Xaver Schlager and Leeds' captain Ethan Ampadu will dictate the tempo of the game.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Team News
Nottingham Forest have just one major injury concern, with Nicolo Savona sidelined due to a back injury until mid-September. Oliver Glasner is expected to stick with his preferred back three, meaning Ousmane Diomande will start alongside regulars Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. New signing Xaver Schlager is set to make his league debut in midfield, replacing Elliot Anderson who departed for Manchester City in the summer.
Leeds travel to Nottingham with several notable absentees. Wilfried Gnonto is sidelined with a hamstring issue and is unlikely to return before next weekend, while Gabriel Gudmundsson is out until September with a similar problem. Ilia Gruev remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury. However, summer signings James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic, and Harry Wilson are all fit and expected to start.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds Match Facts
- Nottingham Forest are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 matches in Premier League.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leeds
Oliver Glasner begins his first full season in charge of the hosts hoping to drastically improve on a poor home record that yielded just four league wins last term. Conversely, the visitors ended their previous campaign strongly with only one defeat in their final nine top-flight matches, though they have historically struggled at the City Ground, losing on their last four visits. With both teams integrating exciting summer signings and displaying plenty of pre-season attacking intent, an entertaining, high-scoring draw seems the most likely outcome.
Best Bet: Both Teams to Score - Yes Click here to get the best odds at Bet365 Sportsbook
Given the offensive talent on display and the early-season defensive adjustments still being made by both coaching staffs, goals at both ends look highly probable. Backing both teams to find the back of the net offers excellent value for this opening-month fixture.
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