Will the Reds close the deal in their own stadium?
Nottingham Forest have now been out of the Premier League since the summer of 1999. Now the two-time overall winners of the European Cup of Nations could return to the top flight of English football. The Reds won 2-1 in the first leg at Sheffield United on Saturday. A draw in the second leg will be enough to see them through to the final of the Championship Play Offs.
The Blades, who were relegated from the Premier League last summer, now desperately need an away win in the East Midlands. However, the last away win for the South Yorkshire side at the City Ground came in December 2008, so the odds are swinging in the Reds’ favour ahead of the second leg between Nottingham and Sheffield United.
It should be noted, however, that the two teams have mostly been very low-scoring of late. In the five meetings before the first leg, a maximum of two goals were scored. The two encounters in the Championship ended in a 1-1 draw.
Accordingly, we see a lot of value in the Reds forcing another low-scoring match and holding on to the draw. We therefore play the double chance 1X bet on Nottingham against Sheffield United with a maximum of three goals.
Nottingham – Statistics & current form
Nottingham Forest have only ever won the English Championship in 1978. But because they won the European Cup of Champions overall the following year, the Reds were again represented in the Champions League predecessor competition the following year as defending champions, where they were able to repeat the great coup.
With two overall victories in the most important European competition for club teams, the team from the East Midlands is one of the most successful clubs in the country. The millennium so far has been all the more sobering for the “Tricky Trees”, who have not played in the first division since 1999.
Only 22 goals conceded in 23 Championship home games
Now, however, the Reds could end the 2021/22 season in fourth place in the Championship and secure their ticket to the Play Offs, where the door to Wembley is wide open with a 2-1 away win at Sheffield United. Even the draw is enough to get them into the final.
Yet the record is certainly in favour of the Garibaldi, who have lost just six of their 23 home games in the Championship (13 wins, four draws) and conceded just 22 goals at the City Ground, which has been the Reds’ home since 1898.
Haven’t lost a home game against Sheffield United since December 2008.
Add to that a good record against the Blades, against whom Forest have lost just one of their last seven competitive games (three wins, three draws). They have not lost at home to the Premier League relegated side since December 2008.
The odds on Nottingham beating Sheffield United are therefore very much in favour of Steve Cooper’s side reaping the rewards of the first leg and punching their ticket to the final of the Championship Play Offs.
Predicted Nottingham line-up:
Samba – Colback – McKenna – Cook – Worrall – Spence – Garner – Yates – Zinckernagel – Surridge – Johnson
Last Nottingham Games:
Championship Playoff
14/05/2022 – Sheffield United 1 – 2 Nottingham Forest
Championship
07/05/2022 – Hull 1 – 1 Nottingham Forest
04/05/2022 – Bournemouth 1 – 0 Nottingham Forest
30/04/2022 – Nottingham Forest 5 – 1 Swansea
27/04/2022 – Fulham 0 – 1 Nottingham Forest
Sheffield United – Statistics & current form
Sheffield United have had quite a few lively years. In the 2016/17 season, the Blades were still playing in the third-tier League One for the sixth year in a row, from which they were then promoted before even going up to the Premier League two years later.
There, the former champions of 1898 finished in a respectable ninth place in their first year, before finishing bottom of the Premier League in the summer of 2021. Now the club from South Yorkshire could return to the top flight of English football by return of the day.
After a strong second half, still into the Play Offs
Overall, Paul Heckingbottom’s side also played a good season, with Sheffield United able to get back into the promotion race after teething troubles in the wake of a rampant second half.
Partly because ten points out of a possible twelve were picked up in the home straight, the Blades finished the season in fifth place and secured a place in the Championship Play Offs. However, the 2-1 home defeat to the Reds means that Sheffield now have their backs to the wall, although the situation could have been much worse had it not been for Sander Berge’s stoppage-time equaliser.
Won only eight of 23 Championship away games
The Premier League relegated side are in desperate need of an away win in the East Midlands, although their away record in league action is a limited indication of that. Only eight of their 23 league games away from home have been won, with the Blades managing to concede just 25 goals on away grounds.
Predicted Sheffield United line-up:
Foderingham – Stevens – Robinson – Egan – Basham – Osborn – Fleck – Gibbs-White – Berge – Ndiaye – Sharp
Last matches played by Sheffield United:
Championship Play-off
14/05/2022 – Sheffield United 1 – 2 Nottingham Forest
Championship
07/05/2022 – Sheffield United 4 – 0 Fulham
30/04/2022 – Queens Park Rangers 1 – 3 Sheffield United
23/04/2022 – Sheffield United 1 – 0 Cardiff
18/04/2022 – Bristol City 1 – 1 Sheffield United
Nottingham – Sheffield United Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 49 – 34 – 46
There have been a total of 129 meetings between the two teams so far and Nottingham lead the direct comparison with 49 victories. The clash has also been in the hands of the Reds of late, who have lost just one of their last seven competitive games against the Blades (three wins, three draws).
Nottingham – Sheffield United Tip
When it comes to Nottingham against Sheffield United, the prediction goes in the direction of the home side, who have the much better starting position with a 2-1 away win behind them. At the City Ground, the defence has been very good, which means that 23 years after relegation from the Premier League, the traditional club has a very good chance of defending their lead and making the final of the Championship Play Offs.
It is also noticeable that there have been very few goals between the two teams recently. In the five encounters before the Reds’ 2-1 first leg win, the maximum number of goals was always two, which is why it makes a lot of sense to combine the Double Chance 1X with a bet on under 3.5 goals.
