Nottingham Forest face Manchester City in the second FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, with both sides also battling it out for a top-five finish in the Premier League.
Third-placed City and fourth-placed Forest are separated by just one point, although the Nottingham outfit do have a game in hand.
Both sides come into this game off the back of 2-1 wins. City enhanced their top-five chances by beating Aston Villa at the Etihad on Tuesday, a last-minute Matheus Nunes goal breaking the stalemate.
Forest, meanwhile, beat Tottenham on Monday to break a two-match losing run.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MAN CITY PREVIEW
It has been honours even between the two sides this season.
Last month, Forest beat City for the first time in six attempts with a 1-0 victory at the City Ground. A Callum Hudson-Odoi goal seven minutes from time proved to be the difference. This was City’s last defeat, with Pep Guardiola’s side currently enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
This was revenge for Forest’s 3-0 thumping at the hands of City at the Etihad in December. Goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku gave the Manchester side a comfortable win.
Neco Williams will miss out through suspension while Ola Aina remains a doubt for Nottingham Forest. This will affect their tactical approach to the game, particularly regarding their formation.
Manchester City have an extensive injury list that includes Nathan Ake, Ederson, Oscar Bobb, Erling Haaland and John Stones.
Stefan Ortega will therefore continue in goal, while Omar Marmoush will start up front with Kevin De Bruyne just behind.
City’s tactics and formation have varied in recent weeks so it will be interesting to see how they approach this game.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MAN CITY – PREDICTIONS
Nottingham Forest Win
With City’s extensive injury list and Forest having beaten them last time out, it would not surprise if the East Midlands side win here. They are having an incredible season and victory will give them a psychological edge in their race for the top five too. Forest have also had one additional day of rest, which at this stage of the season could be crucial.
Draw
Only one point and one position in the Premier League separates the two sides. One-off matches like this semi-final often see teams cancel each other out too.
Man City Win
City’s last-gasp win against Aston Villa on Tuesday shot them up to third in the league and would have boosted their confidence. Despite their injury woes, they are on a three-match winning run and are unbeaten in seven in all competitions.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS MAN CITY – BETTING TIPS
Draw (after 90 minutes)
I can see this match being settled in extra time, with both teams cancelling each other out. There is a reason why there is only one point and one place between them in the Premier League standings. Furthermore, both sides have won their home games against each other this season.
Under 2.5 Goals
It may not be exciting but I see this being a low-scoring affair. Four of the last five games between the two sides have ended with under 2.5 goals, while the absence of Haaland only strengths the case. Forest are defensively solid, having conceded just 39 goals in the Premier League this season. This is third only to Arsenal (29) and Liverpool (31).
Omar Marmoush to Score Anytime
Despite this, I expect Marmoush to be on the score sheet. He may not have scored against Aston Villa, but he did contribute an assist. Meanwhile, he has scored six goals in 12 Premier League appearances so far. He also netted in the last round of the FA Cup against Bournemouth, meaning he is taking full advantage of Haaland’s long time on the treatment table.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
- Nottingham Forest and Manchester City have played each other 106 times, with City winning 44. Forest have won 34 games while there have been 28 draws.
- Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win last month broke a run of three straight victories for City. It was Forest’s first win against the Mancunians in six attempts.
- Nottingham Forest’s record against top-six Premier League sides this season reads W2 D3 L5.
- Nottingham Forest last reached the FA Cup final in 1991, where they were defeated in extra time by Tottenham Hotspur.
- This is Manchester City’s seventh successive appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals. They have won three and lost three of the previous six.
- Man City have won five in their current seven-game unbeaten run. In all victories, they scored at least two goals.
- Man City are looking to reach the FA Cup final for the third time in a row.
- Man City have scored in each of their last 21 matches in the FA Cup.
