Manchester United eyes a competition final under Erik ten Hag as they take on Nottingham Forest at City Ground for the semi final first leg of the Carabao Cup.
The Tricky Trees overcame Wolverhampton’s challenge on penalties in the quarterfinals whereas Manchester United made a clean sweep of Reading by beating 3-0.
NOT vs MUN Match Details
Date: Wednesday, 25 January 2022 / Thursday, 26 January 2022
Time: 21:00 (BST) / 01:30 (IST)
Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham
NOT vs MUN Match Preview
Embarked in a relegation dogfight early in the Premier League season, Nottingham Forest have gone leaps and bounds in carrying on their improving form just before the World cup break. The Tricky Trees now sit a handsome 13th in the league table though only with a four points gap from the drop zone. Steve Cooper believes his squad is going back to the older mould that helped them to the historical promotion to the top flight last year. Forest also had a great run in cup competition last season, the FA Cup to be obvious and has proven again as an able competitor. This time in the league cup they have managed all the way to the semifinals defeating the likes of Tottenham at home in Round 3, the highlight victory of their sensational run. They edged out Wolves in the quarterfinal clash to make it among the top four after the game ended 1-1 in normal time with Willy Boly’s 18th-minute opener cancelled in the second half by Raul Jimenez. Jack Colback scored the winning penalty in the 4-3 shootout victory. Facing Manchester United at home for the first leg of the semifinal tie will be ruthless considering the Red Devil’s meaningful rise this season. However, Nottingham Forest could look at their unbeaten record at the City Ground in eight matches in all competitions and their scoring record in 10 consecutive matches to cause trouble to the visitors. Also, Steve Cooper’s men have progressed from each league cup semi-final tie six times they were in.
Manchester United got hard done by in their aim to stop leaders Arsenal for the second time this season as Edward Nketiah found a late winner for the Gunners in the 3-2 thriller at Emirates on Sunday. In the scoring form of his life, Marcus Rashford gave Erik ten Hag’s team the lead in the 17th minute but saw it evaporate with Nketiah netting his first of the evening before Bukayo Saka’s screamer in the second half swung the game to the home side's favor. Lisandro Martinez’s equalizing header from a corner before the hour-mark did little at the end as the boss pointed out defensive failures in all the goals conceded for the defeat. Many will argue United’s passive stance in large parts of the game that cost them their ten-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. But the Red Devils remain in the top four places and have a chance to get back to winning ways in the midweek cup semi final. Erik ten Hag has openly spoken about taking every competition seriously as he likes to win trophies and wants to construct the best team in setting the club back to its glory days. Manchester United also have not won any silverware since 2016, languishing between semi-finals and finals in cup competition in the resulting years, so it is the time to set the precedent. The EFL cup may be the least glamorous of all the other trophies they are in the hunt for but this could be the start of something special again.
Recent Form (all competitions)
NOT: DWDLW
MUN: LDWWW
Recent Form (Carabao Cup)
NOT: DWWW
MUN: WWW
NOT vs MUN Team News
Nottingham Forest will once again be without Manchester United loanee Dean Henderson due to a thigh injury so veteran keeper Wayne Hennessey keeps his spot between the sticks. Ryan Yates is suffering from an illness and as a result, 21-year-old Danilo could make the starting lineup. New arrival Chris Wood is ineligible to play after his cup exploits with his ex-club Newcastle United this season. Taiwo Awoniyi, Cheikhou Kouyate, Omar Richards, Moussa Niakhate and Giulian Biancone are all sidelined.
Manchester United will be without the trio – Diogo Dalot, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho for the league cup semi-final. Dalot is still struggling with his hamstring injury while Martial has been battling several injury issues for the last two seasons. Sancho is back in training but still quite off from match fitness. Donny van de Beek and Axel Tuanzebe are the other absentees with the former out for the season with a knee injury.
NOT vs MUN Predicted Lineups
NOT: Wayne Hennessey; Serge Aurier, Worrall, Willy Boly, Renan Lodi; Danilo, Remo Freuler, Orel Mangala; Brennan Johnson, Sam Surridge, Morgan Gibbs-White
MUN: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst
NOT vs MUN Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: De Gea (7.5)
DEF: Wan-Bissaka (7.5), Aurier (9), Varane (8), Malacia (7.5)
MID: Eriksen (8), B Fernandes (9), Mangala (7)
FW: Gibbs-White (8.5), Johnson (8.5), Rashford (9)
Vice-captain: Bruno Fernandes
Captain: Marcus Rashford
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