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Nottingham Forest will be looking to bag their first win under new manager Ange Postecoglou when they welcome Denmark’s Midtjylland to the City Ground for Thursday’s tasty Europa League encounter.
Having won this competition last season with Spurs, Big Ange is back to have another shot at gold with his new employers.
The Tricky Trees certainly made a good start to the league-phase, picking up a point away at Real Betis following a 2-2 draw – one of two draws which Postecoglou’s Forest have managed since the Australian arrived at the club.
Five games into his reign, the former Spurs man is yet to taste victory, losing three and drawing two matches across all competitions.
Midtjylland will be hoping to capitalise on Nottingham’s dip, with the Danish side heading to England on the back of a four-match winning run – three of which included clean sheets.
The Wolves have won 10 of their 11 matches across all competitions and have suffered just one defeat since the start of the new season – a 1-0 loss away at Nordsjaelland in the league.
Midtjylland made relatively light work of Austrian side Sturm Graz on matchday one of the Europa League, winning the match 2-0. Mike Tullberg’s men will now be looking for more as they attempt to emulate last season’s run to the knockout stage in this same competition.
Nottingham Forest team news
Nottingham Forest head into Thursday’s encounter without injured defender Ola Aina, who is still recovering from his hamstring issue.
Douglas Luiz and Murillo are both nursing thigh problems and are both doubtful for the game. Omari Hutchinson, meanwhile, has been omitted from the club’s Europa League squad.
Callum Hudson-Odoi will be hoping to get an opportunity in the starting lineup, while Ibrahim Sangare and Morgan Gibbs-White could both be recalled in midfield.
Igor Jesus is expected to lead the attack after scoring a brace against Real Betis last week.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup
Sels – Williams, Milenkovic, Morato, Zinchenko – Sangare, Anderson – Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi – Jesus
Midtjylland team news
Midtjylland travel to England without the ineligible Ovie Ejeheri and injured Mikel Gogorza. In better news for the Danes, Dario Osorio has recovered from a muscle problem and could play a part.
Premier League fans may spot former Bournemouth midfielder Philip Billing in centre midfield, while former Fulham defender Kevin Mbabu may feature at right wing-back.
Midtjylland possible starting lineup
Olafsson – Diao, Erlic, Sorensen – Mbabu, Castillo, Billing, Simsir, Paulinho – Franculino, Brumado
Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland: How to watch and listen
Fans can watch the fixture live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Online streaming is also possible through Discovery+. Radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Nottingham.
Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland stats
– Midtjylland are in the midst of their longest European winning streak, picking up six straight victories.
– Postecoglou became the first Nottingham Forest manager since the 19th century to go winless in his first five games.
– Midtjylland have won one of their four games against English sides, beating Manchester United 2-1 in February 2016 in this competition.
– Postecoglou is unbeaten in his last nine Europa League home games as manager, winning seven of them.
– All of Midtjylland’s league phase away games in last season’s Europa League ended 2-0 – two of them as victories and two as defeats.
Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland prediction
Postecoglou is only five games into his Forest reign, yet he is already under growing pressure following a truly woeful series of results.
The Australian could certainly do with a confidence-boosting victory on Thursday, though Midtjylland are unlikely to be easy opposition.
Last season, the Danes reached the Europa League’s knockout stage, ultimately losing to Real Sociedad in a high-scoring tie.
In fact, Midtjylland have reached the knockout stage in their last three Europa League campaigns, taking points against teams like Braga, Lazio, Feyenoord and Fenerbahce.
On top of that, the Wolves have displayed a lot of attacking quality in recent weeks, scoring nine goals across their last four competitive matches.
Nottingham Forest have also been involved in a number of high-scoring games since Postecoglou’s arrival, which is a testament to their attack but an indictment on their vulnerable defence.
In terms of specific players to watch, Brazilian forward Igor Jesus is undoubtedly the man to follow.
The 24-year-old scored a brace against Real Betis last week and did the same against Swansea in the EFL Cup last month.
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