Nottingham Forest FC vs Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Nottingham Forest FC vs Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Match Prediction & Analysis

We are in the ‘City of Caves’, Nottingham, for the third round match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton. The home side will enter the contest as favourites based on their performances from the opening two matches. 

Nottingham Forest began their 2024–25 season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, followed by a one-goal victory over newly promoted Southampton. On the other hand, the team from the West Midlands has had a disastrous start to their season. 

The Wolves lost 0-2 to Arsenal in their first match but were thrashed 2-6 by Chelsea in their second. As a result of which, the Wolves find themselves languishing at the 19th position in the points table, whereas the Trees are currently placed in the top half of the table at seventh position.  

Interestingly enough, the Wolves have dominated against Nottingham Forest in their four-match rivalry. Nonetheless, the upcoming meeting will provide an opportunity for Nottingham to capitalise on their momentum against a struggling team that is looking elsewhere for motivation.

Nottingham Forest had an expected goals (xG) of 2.45 against Southampton, but their current xG for the season stands at 4.11 after two rounds. Despite creating good scoring chances, they have only managed to score two goals.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nottingham Forest FC Preview

Two weeks into the new season and already Nottingham Forest taking a measured approach both on and off the pitch. Much of the credit will go to coach Nuno Santo, who established discipline in Forest, which had been lacking in previous seasons. It was exemplified in their encounter against Southampton, where the Trees squandered numerous opportunities but persevered and scored the winner in the 70th minute. 

 Comparing the two matches in which Nottingham played, it is safe to assume that they do not care whether they have possession or not. They had approximately 53% possession against Bournemouth but were reduced to 35%. Despite the low percentage of possession, the team managed to take 23 shots and create six major chances. However, Santo would have been upset with his team's failure to capitalise on numerous opportunities. 

Nuno Santo has plenty of firepower on the flanks, with players like Odoi and Elanga capable of sprinting behind opponents with their pace and ability and delivering opportune crosses for Wood to capitalise on. 

As far as the defence is concerned, with the inclusion of Nikola Milenkovic, the backline looks fortified. With Danilo expected to miss out for much longer due to his ankle injury, expect the New Zealand midfielder, Eliot Anderson, to have a longer run with the side.

Nottingham Forest  Starting Lineup -  Sels (Goalkeeper); Williams, Milenković, Murillo, Aina (Defenders); Sangaré, Anderson,Gibbs-White (Midfielders); Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Elanga (Forwards) 

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Preview

It was a nightmare at Molineux for the Wolves as Chelsea thumped them 2-6, and it was the first time since 2007 that the Wolves conceded six goals at home. And it wasn't bad for the hosts at one point, as the teams went into the break tied at 2-2. 

The Wolves were caught up in high-quality transition football as Madueke ran amok through the flanks, scoring three goals. As the Wolves continued to lose the ball over by playing from the back, the Blues punished with swift transitions as O'Neil's full backs were caught out of position on a regular basis, particularly left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. 

Meanwhile, O'Neil would have been heartened by what he saw from Jorgen Strand in the game, as the forward who scored the Wolves' first goal showed that he can be good with or without the ball and is prepared to commit whenever there is a build-up. 

 If O'Neil resorts back to his back five, one could expect him to bring in centre-back Craig Dawson for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in a 3-5-2 formation. 

Wolverhampton Starting Lineup -  Sá (Goalkeeper); Mosquera, Dawson, Gomes, Aït-Nouri, Doherty(Defenders); Gomes, Lemina,Cunha (Midfielders); Strand Larsen, Hwang (Forwards) 

NOTTINGHAM FOREST FC vs WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FC
Winning Prediction

Despite a history of draws, Nottingham Forest enters this match with an advantage due to their recent form. The Wolves have lost five consecutive league games and conceded 18 goals in their last five. While a draw is likely, Forest has a good chance of securing a win.

Nottingham Forest to win (2-1)

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