Nottingham Forest have barely had time to digest Saturday’s defeat before Leeds United return to the City Ground looking to knock them out of the Carabao Cup.

Anton Stach’s superb 88th-minute free-kick was enough to give Leeds a 1-0 win in their Premier League opener at the City Ground, but there was very little between the teams before his late intervention.

Forest edged possession and had opportunities of their own, with Nikola Milenkovic hitting the woodwork and Chris Wood among those unable to take advantage of promising positions. Leeds also had a Harry Wilson goal ruled out, so neither side could claim to have dominated the afternoon.

Now they do it all again, although this should be a slightly different contest.

Oliver Glasner and Daniel Farke are both expected to rotate after the quick turnaround, while Morgan Gibbs-White will miss out for Nottingham Forest after picking up a knee problem on Saturday.

Ousmane Diomande and Xaver Schlager are among those pushing to start for the hosts, while Leeds can turn to Sean Longstaff, Dan James and Lukas Nmecha without dramatically weakening their side.

Both clubs could also add further attacking options before the window closes, with Leeds and Forest both joining the race for Chelsea striker Liam Delap.

Saturday suggested there is very little separating them right now. With a place in the third round at stake, another tight game looks likely.

What are the best picks for Nottingham Forest vs Leeds?

Draw in 90 minutes

It took a moment of real quality from Stach to separate these teams on Saturday and there was little evidence to suggest either side should suddenly be expected to take control three days later.

Forest will naturally want a response after losing Glasner’s first competitive game in charge, but the Austrian is still implementing his system and must now do without Gibbs-White, their most influential attacking midfielder.

Leeds have considerably more continuity under Farke and deserved plenty of credit for the way they frustrated Forest at the weekend. Their shape remained disciplined throughout and James Trafford was protected well enough that the hosts struggled to create clear chances from open play.

The cup changes the dynamic because there has to be a winner eventually, but that does not necessarily mean either team needs to take major risks inside 90 minutes.

Farke himself expects another close contest, while rotation on both sides should only add to the uncertainty.

Forest should improve on Saturday and home advantage gives them every chance of progressing, but Leeds have already shown they can match them at the City Ground. Another game with very little between them makes the draw our preferred match-result bet.

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Under 2.5 goals

Saturday’s meeting produced 23 shots but only five on target, with Stach’s late free-kick eventually turning what looked destined to be a goalless draw into a Leeds victory.

That was not simply a case of poor finishing. Both teams defended their own penalty areas well and spent long periods cancelling one another out in similar back-three systems.

Forest should freshen up their attack, but losing Gibbs-White is significant and Glasner is unlikely to have transformed their attacking play in the space of 72 hours.

Leeds have little reason to abandon an approach that worked so well on Saturday. They can remain compact, compete physically in midfield and wait for opportunities from transitions and set pieces rather than chasing an early goal.

Changes to both starting lineups could also hurt attacking rhythm more than defensive organisation, particularly this early in the season.

Extra time may eventually open things up if the scores remain level, but our bet only concerns the opening 90 minutes. Another low-scoring contest looks the most likely outcome.

Where can I watch Nottingham Forest vs Leeds?

Nottingham Forest vs Leeds kicks off at 8:00 PM BST on Tuesday, August 25 at the City Ground.

The Carabao Cup second-round tie will be shown live in the UK on ITV1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

What have the managers said?

Oliver Glasner:

Glasner confirmed that Forest will make changes after Saturday’s Premier League defeat, but there is no suggestion he intends to sacrifice the competition.

“I’m no magician to make them win anything, but we will play to win the game.”

Daniel Farke:

Farke believes Saturday’s result will count for little once the two teams meet again in a knockout competition.

“This is a ‘do or die’ cup game. Both teams will be motivated to progress, so I expect a tight game.”

What is Nottingham Forest’s predicted team?

Starting XI: Victor; Abbott, Diomande, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Dominguez, Netz; Hutchinson, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.

Injured: Morgan Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates, Nicolo Savona.

Gibbs-White has avoided structural damage to his knee but remains in pain and will not be risked, while Yates and Savona are still unavailable.

Diomande could make his full Forest debut after remaining on the bench on Saturday, with Schlager another strong candidate to come into the starting XI.

What is Leeds’ predicted team?

Starting XI: Trafford; Elvedi, Bijol, Muharemovic; Justin, Byram, Stach, Longstaff; Ramazani, James; Nmecha.

Injured: Willy Gnonto, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Ilia Gruev.

Farke reported no fresh injuries after Saturday’s win, although Gnonto and Gudmundsson remain short of a return and this game comes too soon for Gruev despite his return to full training.

Longstaff, James and Nmecha could all benefit from the expected rotation, although Farke has made it clear he does not intend to completely overhaul the side that won here at the weekend.

Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Leeds United

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