Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest

Manchester United will be looking to finish the job and claim their place in the League Cup final when they take on Nottingham Forest in the return leg of their semi-final tie.

Manchester United have one foot in what promises to be their first appearance League Cup showpiece since winning the competition in 2016/17 following a thumping 3-0 win in the first leg at the City Ground. Despite failing to open the scoring before halftime, Erik ten Hag’s men thrashed second-tier Reading 3-1 at home in the FA Cup round four at the weekend, extending their phenomenal winning run on home turf to 11 matches in all competitions. Another clear-cut win is on the cards as the ‘Red Devils’ have won both encounters against Nottingham Forest this season by an identical 3-0 scoreline and could beat specific opposition via a three-goal margin three times in a single season for the first time in history.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest enjoyed a fixture-free weekend after an underwhelming FA Cup exit to Championship side Blackpool, which is unlikely to bolster their hopes of becoming the first side to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit in the League Cup semi-finals. Adding to this sentiment, the ‘Tricky Trees’ have lost each of their last five competitive visits to Old Trafford, going down to at least a three-goal margin on four occasions. Topically, Steve Cooper’s men have suffered two defeats in their last five outings in all competitions (W1, D2), succumbing to a three-goal margin both times. If that’s not concerning enough, the visitors have managed just one triumph on their last four travels (D1, L2).