Nervy Leeds to continue yearly wobble
A heavyweight clash at the top of the Championship is the late kickoff on Saturday evening, with two of the league’s sleeping giants with a rich history in European football going head to head. Sabri Lamouchi’s Nottingham Forestare the next side tasked with the challenge of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, a team whose automatic promotion bid has stuttered in recent weeks despite being overwhelming favourites to get over the line and into the promise land this campaign. Having been double figure points clear of third place in the turn of the year, Leeds have slipped to just three points ahead of Fulham currently spearheading the chasing pack.
Recent form
Both teams have scored in five of Forest’s last six and with the talent on show in this one, a high scoring encounter is likely. The Whites as mentioned are out of goalscoring form though at the moment, they have lost four of their last five, only taking one point from the last available nine on the road. The City Ground has not been happy hunting either in recent years, winless in the last four head-to-heads there, losing the last two. Bielsa’s men however have found the net in all of their last 10 visits to Nottingham.
Danger man
Cheeky chappy Joe Lolley has been in devastating form of late for the hosts with six goal involvements in as many games coming into this matchup, the 27-year-old has scored eight and assisted six this term and is key to the Forestpush for promotion. The highly technical winger is streaky when onsong, putting together clusters of intense end product this season, and will be the hosts main threat in this one.
Lewis Grabban provides guaranteed goals at Championship level and has got on the scoresheet five times against Leeds in his career, the former Bournemouthman is fourth in the scoring charts with 16 league goals.
Bielsa’s stubbornness
Only one substitution made last time out with the second placed side starting to look leggy in defeat to relegation scrapping Wigan Athletic at Elland Road, just as they did falling away from automatic promotion contention last season, losing out to Derby County in the playoff semifinals. No place for new signing Jean-Kevin Augustin in the squad, the coveted Frenchmanspent the first half of the season in Ligue 1 with Monaco before being recalled and sent out to Yorkshire on loan by parent club Red BullLeipzig.
In a massive set of matches for Leeds, with Brentford away following this one, I think Forest will have too much at home where they have won three of their last four.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
The Leeds slide continues, Sammy Ameobi and Tyler Walker got the goals as Forest won 2-0.