Overview
After a series of 3 consecutive wins in November, each match scored 3 goals against Leeds United, Liverpool and Malmo, Nottingham Forest declined when they suffered two defeats in the last 3 matches in the Premier League (won 1).
Just three days after a narrow 1-0 win over bottom-placed Wolves, Sean Dyche's side suffered a 3-3 defeat at Everton - the former side he had fronted - last weekend. This result pushed Forest down to 17th place in the rankings and they are currently only two points above the relegation zone.
Dyche expects his players to quickly react positively, especially after the performance that he assessed as "completely unfit" against Everton. However, their away record does not bring them much optimism.
Forest have won two of their 11 away games in all competitions this season (4 draws, 5 losses), including 2 Europa League draws against Real Betis (2-2) and Sturm Graz (0-0).
In their first return to the European arena in 30 years, Forest have won 8 points after 5 group stage matches (2 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss) and are currently ranked 16th out of 36 teams. They are only 2 points behind the top 7 teams and 4 points behind the leaders, in the context of still having decisive matches against Utrecht, Braga and Ferencvaros ahead.
Forest, the only team yet to concede in the Europa League since Dyche took charge at the end of October (W2 D1), also have a good record against the Netherlands in European competition.
They have won 3/4 of their most recent matches (losing 1). Forest are aiming for their first Dutch win in more than 40 years, since a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of the UEFA Cup in October 8.3.
Participating in the Europa League for the first time in 14 years, Utrecht is among the only 5 teams this season that have not had a single win after five group stage matches, with a record of one draw and four losses.
The team nicknamed Cupfighters only earned the only point from a 1-1 draw at home to Porto in the fourth match, before losing 1-2 to Real Betis two weeks ago. This result caused them to fall to 32nd place out of 36 teams, 5 points behind the play-off spot, while they have 3 more matches to face Forest, Genk and Celtic.
Under coach Ron Jans, Utrecht have won just three of their 16 official games in all competitions this season (D5 L8). They have also gone 16 consecutive matches without a win in European competitions since September 2004 - the longest winless streak in the history of a Dutch team in the continental arena.
Utrecht are preparing for the third time facing an English team in the European Cup, after two 0-0 draws with Liverpool in the 2010-11 Europa League.
In Eredivisie, the Cupfighters are currently in seventh place and drew 1-1 with FC Twente last weekend. Although they were underrated before hosting Nottingham Forest, they can be somewhat confident as they are on a 6-match unbeaten streak at home (won 3, drew 3).
Expected lineup:
FC Utrecht: Barkas, Horemans, Van de Hoorn, Viergever, El Karouani, Bozdogan, Ongena, De Wit, Rodriguez, Min, Cathline.
Nottingham Forest: Victor, Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Dominguez, Sangare, Ndoye, McAtee, Hudson- odoi, kalimuendo.
The match between Utrecht and Nottingham Forest takes place at 0:45 am on December 12 (Vietnam time).
