Manchester United-Nottingham Forest is a League Cup semi-final return match and is played on Wednesday at 9pm: TV, line-ups, predictions.
The first leg match did nothing but confirm the gap, at this moment abysmal, that exists between the two teams. Nottingham Forest did what they could, but the confrontation with Erik ten Hag’s reborn Red Devils ended with the same result as the Boxing Day Boxing Day fixture.
A round 3-0, with no chance of appeal for Steve Cooper’s men, which allowed the Dutch coach to ‘book’ the final at Wembley, to be played on 26 February. In the space of a month, in short, Bruno Fernandes and his teammates have scored a total of six goals against the Tricky Trees, without conceding a single one. Now, you know how in football everything is possible and no game is already written. But frankly, it is very difficult to envisage a comeback for Nottingham Forest, forced to win by three goals or more in the temple of Old Trafford. Cooper will certainly have done his maths, given that next weekend a real salvation play-off against Leeds awaits him, one of those games that must be won at all costs. Not least because his team have grown a lot in the last month and haven’t lost in the league since that 3-0 defeat in Manchester, taking them to +4 on the relegation zone.
The Red Devils one step away from Wembley
Normal, then, to think that the Forest coach will do a few more rotations, perhaps trying out some newcomers, playing it open but avoiding any further imbalances.
Freuler
Ten Hag, who has failed to win any of his last two Premier League games – a draw with Palace and a last-second defeat to leaders Arsenal – will also be thinking about the next league game with Crystal Palace, slowing his run. It will however be a competitive line-up for the Red Devils, who are close to lifting their first trophy since 2017, when with José Mourinho on the bench they lifted the Europa League and League Cup. In all likelihood we will also see some changes in the starting eleven, which will be different to the one that beat Reading 3-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Prediction
At home Manchester United have been a roller so far, winning all eleven of their last challenges played in front of their home crowd. The League Cup semi-final return should be no exception, a veritable formality for ten Hag’s team. It should be another comfortable victory for the Red Devils, who will also keep their goal unbeaten.
Manchester United v Nottingham Forest matchday squad
- MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Varane, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Elanga, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Weghorst.
- NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-1-2): Hennessey; Aurier, Worrall, Boly, Renan Lodi; Mangala, Danilo, Freuler; Scarpa; Johnson, Dennis.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
