Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United prediction, odds and betting tips

Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from Europa League disappointment when they face Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United odds

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Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United predictions

Draws can sometimes feel like defeats, as Manchester United can attest.

Erik ten Hag’s team were 2-0 up and cruising as Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sevilla entered the closing stages.

Yet a pair of own goals late on turned the quarter-final first leg on its head, allowing Sevilla to escape with a 2-2 draw. The Spanish side will now fancy their chances of triumphing on home turf.

Manchester United must get that disappointment out of their system quickly. After all, they are by no means home and dry in the race for the top four in the Premier League.

The Red Devils are strong favourites to qualify for the Champions League. Every bookmaker reckons they are the likeliest third-place finishers.

But Ten Hag’s side trail Newcastle United on goal difference as we head into the weekend, while Tottenham Hotspur are only three points adrift of the Red Devils (albeit having played one more game).

There is plenty of work to do, then, so United cannot afford to dwell on the setback they suffered in midweek.

Their task is complicated by the fact that three of their most important players, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford, will be absent through injury against Nottingham Forest.

Steve Cooper’s side are in poor form but they have a decent record at the City Ground, where Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea have all failed to win this season. 

United are justifiably the favourites for Sunday’s showdown in the East Midlands, but this is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United betting tips

Manchester United will face an out-of-form Nottingham Forest side on Sunday, but they will still have to dig deep for victory at the City Ground.

Both teams to score - 4/5 (bet365)

Manchester United will be without three members of their first-choice back four against Nottingham Forest. 

As well as Varane and Martinez, who both suffered injuries against Sevilla, Ten Hag remains without Luke Shaw for this trip to the City Ground.

That is a huge blow. There is a big drop-off between the aforementioned defenders and their deputies. 

Harry Maguire has struggled for form at club level over the last couple of years. Victor Lindelof is not a bad centre-back, but he is not in the class of either Varane or Martinez. 

And while Tyrell Malacia has shown signs of promise at left-back, he is still learning his trade at the highest level.

Forest will have welcomed the news that United will be forced into a defensive reshuffle. They certainly need a lift, having dropped into the bottom three.

Evangelos Marinakis, the notoriously trigger-happy owner, has publicly backed Cooper, who remains hugely popular with the club’s supporters.

But his usually thin patience will be further tested if Forest remain in the relegation zone at the end of the weekend.

Cooper’s side have scored in all but one of their 15 home games this season, though, while only four teams in the division have shipped more goals away from home than United.

Bruno Fernandes to score any time - 11/5 (bet365)

In Rashford’s absence, which could last until the beginning of next month, United will need their other attackers to step up the plate.

The England international has scored 15 goals in the Premier League this term, 11 of which have come since the turn of the year. 

That means Rashford has been responsible for 55 percent of the goals Ten Hag’s team have scored in 2023.

Wout Weghorst has been a useful stop-gap in some regards, but he does not put the ball in the back of the net often enough. In fact, he is yet to do so in the Premier League.

The jury remains out on Anthony Martial almost eight years after he joined the club, so much of the burden will fall on Bruno Fernandes and his fellow midfielders.

Marcel Sabitzer and Scott McTominay have contributed important goals of late, while Fernandes Is going through a lean spell by his standards.

The Portugal international has gone four games without a goal but he could step up when United face the Premier League’s second-leakiest backline.

Under 10 corners - 5/6 (bet365)

The total corners market is not one that casual punters often explore, in large part because it is hard to get an intuitive feeling about how many a team usually gets in a game.

But the statistics show that no team in the Premier League has had fewer corners than Nottingham Forest, who have earned a total of 105.

That works out as an average of just 3.5 per match and is probably a result of the fact Forest have relatively little possession and few touches inside the opposition penalty area.

Manchester United only rank 11th in that particular standing, below the likes of Leeds United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

United’s average is 4.8 per encounter. It is something of a crude method but combining the two teams’ averages for the campaign gives a figure which is still some way off 10.

That is why this particular bet is appealing for Sunday’s contest at the City Ground.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

• Location: City Ground, Nottingham, England.
• Date and time: Sunday 16 April 2023, 4.30pm.
• How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

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