Nottingham Forest will have a quick opportunity to respond to their disappointing Premier League opening-day defeat when they welcome Leeds United to the City Ground in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
The two sides met just five days ago in the opening game of the 2026-27 Premier League season, with Leeds claiming a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a late Anton Stach free-kick. Forest will now be determined to turn the tables, while Leeds will be looking to maintain their recent dominance in this fixture and book their place in the next round.
The opening Premier League encounter was a closely fought contest, with neither side able to establish clear control for long periods. Both teams relied heavily on set pieces, but it was Leeds who eventually found the decisive moment when Stach produced a late strike to break Forest hearts.
For new Forest head coach Oliver Glasner, Tuesday’s cup tie represents an important opportunity to make an immediate response.
Glasner replaced Vitor Pereira and arrives at the City Ground with an impressive European reputation after guiding Crystal Palace to Conference League glory last season. However, the Austrian will need time to implement his tactical ideas and establish his preferred style of play.
Forest enjoyed an encouraging pre-season, defeating strong opposition including Bayer Leverkusen and Brest. Glasner will therefore be eager to see his team translate some of that promising form into competitive results, particularly in front of the home supporters.
The pressure surrounding Forest is already significant, with Glasner becoming the club’s fifth manager in less than a year. While he has the experience and ability to bring greater stability, questions will remain over how much patience he will be afforded if results do not immediately improve.
The EFL Cup could provide the perfect platform for Glasner to experiment with his squad. With another Premier League fixture coming soon, the Forest boss is expected to make several changes and give opportunities to players who did not start against Leeds.
John Victor could replace the regular goalkeeper, while summer signing Ousmane Diomande may be handed his Forest debut. The Portuguese defender’s arrival from Sporting Lisbon has generated excitement, and the cup tie could offer supporters their first competitive look at him.
Forest will still have to cope without Nicolo Savona and Ryan Yates, who remain sidelined with injuries. Nevertheless, Glasner has plenty of options available as he looks to find the right balance between rotation and maintaining enough quality to progress.
Leeds, meanwhile, will arrive with confidence following their impressive opening-day performance. Daniel Farke will have been particularly pleased with the clean sheet, as his team frustrated Forest for long periods and showed defensive discipline under pressure.
Leeds have also won four of their last five meetings with Forest, giving the visitors another psychological advantage ahead of Tuesday’s contest.
The Whites are also hoping that their summer recruitment can help them avoid the difficulties that often accompany a second Premier League season. Goalkeeper James Trafford has arrived to strengthen the squad, while Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemovic provide additional options in defence following a campaign in which Leeds conceded 56 league goals.
However, Farke has some selection concerns of his own. Wilfried Gnonto, Noah Okafor and Mateo Joseph are unavailable, with Joseph continuing his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Ilia Gruev also remains sidelined with a knee problem.
Gabriel Gudmundsson could be protected after missing the opening game because of a thigh issue, while Farke may take the opportunity to rotate several other positions.
Dan James, Sean Longstaff, Sam Byram and Largie Ramazani are among those pushing for starting roles as Leeds attempt to reach the next round.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Nottingham Forest: Victor; Abott, Diomande, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Dominguez, Netz; Hutchison, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
Leeds United: Trafford; Elvedi, Bijol, Muharemovic; Justin, Byram, Stach, Longstaff; Ramazani, James; Nmecha.
Forest will undoubtedly be motivated by the desire to avenge Saturday’s defeat, and the home crowd should create another intense atmosphere at the City Ground. Glasner’s expected changes could also give several players an opportunity to make a strong impression.
Leeds, however, have already demonstrated that they can frustrate Forest, and their recent head-to-head record gives Farke’s side plenty of confidence.
This should once again be a tight and competitive encounter, with neither side likely to take unnecessary risks. Forest have home advantage and greater motivation to respond, but Leeds appear to have the momentum and defensive organisation required to survive another difficult evening.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Leeds United.
Leeds could edge another closely contested meeting, maintain their recent superiority over Forest and secure a place
