Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: Forest get immediate chance to put Saturday right.

Published on 25 August 2026 at 16:06

It feels slightly strange writing another Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United preview just three days after the last one.

But after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat, Forest have been handed the perfect opportunity to put things right when Leeds return to the City Ground tonight in the Carabao Cup.

Saturday was a frustrating afternoon for Forest. Oliver Glasner’s first competitive game in charge ended in defeat after Anton Stach’s late free-kick found the net, despite Forest having periods where they looked the better side. The biggest issue was probably what happened at the other end, with Forest struggling to create enough clear chances.

Now, they get another go.

The cup also gives Glasner the chance to change things around. With the Premier League obviously the priority, there should be opportunities for some of the players who didn't start on Saturday, while others will be desperate to put in a better performance.

And there is definitely an argument for keeping a strong side out.

Forest won't want Leeds coming back to the City Ground twice in four days and leaving with two wins. The atmosphere should be good tonight, and there is a real sense that Forest owe Leeds one after Saturday.

For Leeds, Daniel Farke is likely to make changes of his own. They will be delighted with the way Saturday went, particularly after holding Forest at arm's length for long periods and finding the decisive moment through Stach. But the cup is a different challenge, and Forest will expect a very different game this time around.

The interesting battle could be in midfield. Forest need more control and creativity than they showed at times on Saturday, while Leeds will be hoping to disrupt that and make the game as uncomfortable as possible.

There is also the obvious psychological side to this. Forest have had barely any time to dwell on Saturday's result. Instead of waiting a week for another fixture, they can walk straight back out at the City Ground and try to put it right.

That's what makes tonight so interesting.

Nobody at Forest will be pretending the Carabao Cup is more important than the Premier League, but a win would be a huge boost after the disappointment of Glasner's opening weekend.

Saturday was Leeds' day.

Tonight, Forest get their chance to change that.


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