Last season, Nottingham Forest were only 17th in the Premier League, having to work hard to stay in the league. But their performance this season has been extremely impressive, with 16 wins and maintaining 3rd place in the rankings, 6 points more than Man City in the race for a ticket to the Champions League.
The task of coach Nuno Espirito Santo and his team is to defend this position in the remaining 8 rounds. Home record is the mainstay for Forest's record.
In the last 8 Premier League matches played on the City Ground, Forest have had 6 wins, including a draw with the top two teams, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Forest also beat Man United 3-2 at Old Trafford in December and will aim to beat the Red Devils for the first time in both matches since the 1991-92 season. With current form, this is not a difficult challenge.
For their part, Man United are 17 points behind their opponents. They have had a disappointing season without winning back-to-back Premier League games, currently stuck in 13th place in the table.
One thing is for sure, Ruben Amorim's side will not qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League this season, but winning the Europa League will give them a second chance.
In fact, the Europa League is much more important for Man United at the moment. However, they are also under pressure to improve their 13th place in the domestic league.
The Red Devils are faced with the Manchester derby against Man City at the weekend, followed by an extremely important quarter-final match for Lyon in the European Cup. They need a positive result against Forest as a mental leverage against a series of tense matches.
Expected lineup:
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, N Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Jota, Gibbs-White, Hudson- odoi; Elanga
Man United: Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu; Garnacho, Hojlund, Zirkzee
