Forest vs Leverkusen Prediction: Betting Tips & Odds

Nottingham Forest and Bayer Leverkusen meet for the first time on Thursday morning New Zealand time at the City Ground, with both clubs in the final stretch of pre-season ahead of competitive action later this month.

Forest under Oliver Glasner have won three and lost three from seven summer outings. Leverkusen are unbeaten in six under new coach Carles Martinez. In this Nottingham Forest vs Bayer Leverkusen preview, I look at where both sides are at and where the value might be.

I’ve found an over/under angle paying solid odds for anyone checking new betting sites ahead of the weekend.

Nottingham Forest

Forest’s pre-season started well. A 2-0 win at Notts County and a comfortable 3-0 over Blackburn had Glasner’s ideas looking like they’d clicked immediately, with Arnaud Kalimuendo and Igor Jesus both impressing up front.

Since the Portugal camp, though, it’s been harder going. 

Sporting CP put four past them on 31 July, and both 45-minute games at the Friuli Venezia Giulia tournament in Italy on Saturday ended 0-1 - Udinese first, then Barcelona. Forest were arguably the better side against Barca. Gibbs-White cracked the post and Ndoye forced a save from Szczesny before Raphinha’s stoppage-time penalty from a Nikola Milenkovic handball decided it.

This is Glasner’s first fixture at the City Ground, 10 days out from their Premier League opener against Leeds.

Team News: Hudson-Odoi is recovering from a thigh injury sustained in April. Schlager, Glasner’s first signing, has been training with the squad.

Predicted Lineup: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Yates, Schlager; Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Ndoye; Igor Jesus.

Bayer Leverkusen

Five wins and a draw from six friendlies, 19 goals scored, two conceded. Leverkusen have been devastating.

Patrik Schick is the headline act. A brace against Sevilla on Saturday to overturn a 0-1 halftime deficit, plus a goal against Rot-Weiss Essen the week before. He looks fit and confident heading into the new campaign.

I’m wary of reading too much into games against Baumberg (7-0) and Offenbach (3-1), but the Sevilla result was more instructive. Martinez’s side came from a goal down and looked the sharper team after wholesale changes at the break. Not bad from a manager only six weeks into the job.

Ibrahim Maza is the wild card. Half of Europe has been circling the 20-year-old all summer - PSG and Man City among the clubs linked - and Leverkusen have knocked back bids well into the tens of millions. He scored against Essen and is clearly settled. If Leverkusen can hold onto him, he’s the player to fill the creative gap Florian Wirtz left when he joined Liverpool.

Team News: Several World Cup participants may be returning to the fold following Germany’s tournament. Schick and Maza both played against Sevilla on Saturday. This is the first of two friendlies in England, with Newcastle on Saturday.

Predicted Lineup: Hradecky; Kossounou, Tapsoba, Hincapie, Grimaldo; Xhaka, Andrich; Tella, Maza; Schick, Boniface.

• This is the first-ever meeting between these two clubs.
• Forest have lost three of their last four pre-season fixtures.
• Leverkusen are unbeaten in six friendlies and have scored at least three goals in four of them.
• Igor Jesus has three goals across Forest’s pre-season campaign.
• Schick has four pre-season goals, including a brace in the 2-1 win over Sevilla.

I’m leaning Leverkusen here. 

Forest have quality - Gibbs-White was the best player on the pitch in Italy on Saturday despite not scoring - but three defeats in four isn’t the trajectory Glasner wanted heading into the final week.

Leverkusen’s goal threat is legit. Schick looks rejuvenated and Maza is an X-factor every time he gets the ball. I can’t see Forest rolling over at the City Ground, though - Glasner will want a statement in front of his new supporters.

I’m tipping Leverkusen in an open game. Both sides should find the net.

For those keen on football tips, the goals market is where I’d focus.

Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.75

Leverkusen have averaged over three goals per game across their six pre-season friendlies. Forest scored freely early in the summer and have been creating chances even in their losses - Gibbs-White and Ndoye both went close against Barcelona on Saturday.

Neither side has reason to play conservatively 10 days before their respective season openers. Forest need to impress their home crowd. Leverkusen will want to continue their scoring run before the DFB-Pokal first round.

At $1.75, it’s a price I’m comfortable backing on the best legal betting sites available in New Zealand.