Nottingham Forest welcome Cardiff City to the City Ground in a rare Super Sunday clash in the Sky Bet Championship.
Victory will lift Forest off the foot of the table but only up to 22nd on goal difference, whereas Cardiff can climb to eighth with victory.
Team News
Loic Mbe Soh could feature for Forest after recovering from a groin injury suffered in their opening weekend loss at Coventry last month.
Joe Lolley is also in contention to return after recovering from illness but Jordi Osei-Tutu (hamstring), Braian Ojeda and Mohamed Drager (both personal) are ruled out.
Cardiff have no fresh injury concerns to report as Isaac Vassell and Lee Tomlin remain absent with respective thigh and groin injuries.
Stat Attack
- Nottingham Forest have claimed just seven points out of a possible 39 points from their last 13 league meetings against Cardiff (W2, D1, L10).
- Cardiff have won each of their last six league trips to the City Ground, in which they scored twice in five of those six wins with the exception being a 1-0 victory in November 2019.
- Forest’s Jack Colback has been booked in both home matches at the City Ground so far this season.
- Cardiff are yet to score before half-time away from home this season (W1, D1).
- Forest have conceded first in each of their two home matches so far this season and went on to lose both clashes by 2-1 results.
Prediction
Having made a solid start in terms of attack this season, Forest really need to improve their defending because that aspect is costing them points, especially with six of their eight conceded goals falling in the second half which is a huge worry and will surely ask questions about their fitness.
Cardiff meanwhile will be disappointed with their defeat to Bristol City in the Severnside derby a fortnight ago, although their defence this season hasn’t exactly been spectacular by any stretch of the mind but they do look solid overall quality wise across the pitch.
On that note, I do expect this to be a scrappy contest but unless Forest show considerable defensive improvement after half-time, I can see Cardiff taking the win here once they turn the screws in their attack.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Cardiff City
Result: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Cardiff City