Nottingham Forest will take on Burnley in the League Cup on Wednesday, look to book their place in the next round of the competition.
Nottingham Forest are coming into the game against Burnley on the back of a thrilling defeat against Manchester United. And they will have to put up a similar performance here if they want to grind out a win.
Forest did well to put the Red Devils under pressure, and they could have easily secured a result on another day. But Burnley are a more beatable opposition, and the home fans will demand a positive result here. Meanwhile, the Clarets are coming into this game on the back of a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa.
Burnley have lost their first two matches of the season and will be desperate to bounce back strongly. They might feel that Nottingham Forest are vulnerable defensively, given the fact that they have conceded six goals in their last three matches. It remains to be seen whether Burnley can pull off an upset on Wednesday.
Looking ahead to tomorrow's @Carabao_Cup clash 👊
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 29, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
The home side will be without the services of Wayne Hennessey and Felipe because of fitness issues. Meanwhile, Joe Worrall is serving a suspension after seeing red against Manchester United. They are likely to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Matt Turner taking his place in goal.
In the back three, Willy Boly should start alongside Moussa Niakhate and Scott McKenna. The three players will look to keep things tight at the back and provide the foundation for Steve Cooper’s men to execute their counter-attacking style of football.
Serge Aurier and Ola Aina will be deployed as the wing-backs, and they will look to protect the central defenders and add width to the side as well. In the middle of the park, Danilo will likely start alongside Ryan Yates.
Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity, flair and drive to the side during transitions. The duo will start as the attacking midfielders who can drift out wide as well. Finally, Taiwo Awoniyi will lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Turner; Boly, Niakhate, McKenna; Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Aina; Johnson, Gibbs-White; Awoniyi
Burnley
Burnley have a number of injury issues heading into this game. They are without Michael Obafemi and Darko Churlinov due to knocks. The visitors will start in a 4-4-2 formation, and Vincent Kompany will look to employ a free-flowing attacking system.
James Trafford will likely start in goal for the away side. Connor Roberts and Hannes Delcroix will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out defensively and contribute going forward as well. Ameen Al Dakhil and Dara O’Shea will start as the central defenders for Burnley.
Benson Manuel and Luca Koleosho will be deployed as the wingers, and they will look to protect the full-backs and create goalscoring opportunities. In the middle of the park, Josh Cullen will start alongside Sander Berge. Nathan Redmond and Zeki Amdouni will start as the attackers here.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Roberts, Al-Dakhil, O’Shea, Delcroix; Manuel, Cullen, Berge, Koleosho; Redmond, Amdouni
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have drawn their last three home matches against Burnley in all competitions.
- Burnley are undefeated in their last seven matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Five of the last six matches between these two sides have seen both teams get on the scoresheet.
- Nottingham Forest have scored six goals in their last three matches across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Taiwo Awoniyi
The 26-year-old Nottingham Forest striker is in superb form right now, and he will look to take advantage of Burnley’s defensive vulnerabilities. The striker has scored three goals in just two Premier League starts and is our man to watch out for.
Awoniyi has proven to be more than just a goalscorer for Nottingham Forest so far. His hold-up play will help bring the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson into the game. Burnley will need to be careful in order to contain the in-form 26-year-old.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Burnley
The home side will be the favourites to progress into the next round of the competition based on their recent performances. Nottingham Forest are the better team going forward, and they have the players to make a difference in the final third.
The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi have the quality to break down the Burnley defence. This is likely to be a close contest, with both teams desperate for a win, but the home side have enough quality to come out on top eventually.