Nottingham Forest FC vs Leicester City, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Nottingham Forest FC vs Leicester City Match Prediction & Analysis

Nottingham Forest, currently sixth and two points adrift of Champions League spots, host already-relegated Leicester City. With Newcastle and Chelsea facing each other, a win for Forest is crucial to keep their top-four hopes alive. Despite a rare victory against Southampton, Leicester's home form has been dreadful, scoring their first home goals since December in that match. 

Forest won the reverse fixture 3-1. While bookmakers favor a home win, Forest cannot afford anything less than three points to maintain control of their Champions League destiny, with away games against West Ham and a final-day clash with Chelsea looming. Leicester's dire season, with only five wins, contrasts sharply with Forest's 18 victories and 61 points. 

Head to Head Record - Encounters between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have been closely contested. Across 110 matches played, Nottingham Forest have secured 42 victories, while Leicester City have won 41. There have also been 27 draws between the two sides, highlighting the competitive nature of this East Midlands rivalry over the years.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nottingham Forest FC Preview

Despite a recent dip in form, including a fortunate draw against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest still harbors Champions League ambitions. Having once held a top-four position, their current sixth place is a setback, making their match crucial as Chelsea and Newcastle face each other. Forest has a golden opportunity to regain ground. 

After two seasons battling relegation, they now aim for Champions League qualification. While their recent form has faltered, their home record remains strong, boasting the t-best defense at the City Ground, conceding only 13 goals in 17 matches. This resilience at home will be vital as they seek to capitalize on their rivals' potential slip-up. 

Nottingham Forest face injury concerns for key players. Defender Murillo, who scored against Palace, is doubtful after hobbling off. Callum Hudson-Odoi is confirmed out until late May with a hamstring injury. This adds to their worries as top scorer Chris Wood is currently on a three-game goal drought. If Murillo can't play, Nikola Milenkovic is likely to partner Morato in central defense. 

Nottingham Forest Probable Starting Lineup - Sels (GK); Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood

Leicester City Preview

Leicester City want to play well even though they are going to a lower league. They won their last game, which shows they are still trying. They haven't won many games this season, so this win was a bit of a surprise. Because they can't go up or down anymore, they can play without stress. 

This means they might be hard for Nottingham Forest to beat, who really need to win to try and get into the Champions League. Leicester haven't won away from home for a long time, but they did win against a good team earlier in the year, so they can still cause problems. Their manager's job might not be safe, but the players will still want to do their best. 

Leicester City will rely on veteran forward Jamie Vardy, who has contributed 11 goals this season. Despite the team's struggles, the experienced striker scored in their recent win against Southampton. Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen is out for the season with a hernia, ing Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi, and Ricardo Pereira on the injury list. Facundo Buonanotte is also a doubt due to concussion, sustained in their previous match.

Leicester City Probable Starting Lineup - Stolarczyk (GK); Justin, Coady, Faes, Thomas; Ndidi, Skipp; McAteer, Ayew, El Khannouss; Vardy