Match Preview: Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland

The match of the 2nd round of the Europa League 2025/26 general stage between England’s “Nottingham Forest” and Denmark’s “Midtjylland” will take place on October 2 at the City Ground stadium. Here’s our comprehensive prediction, betting odds, and key statistics for the “Nottingham Forest” vs “Midtjylland” clash.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest’s Recent Form

The English club marked their return to the European stage after nearly 30 years with a 2-2 draw against Betis in their opening Europa League fixture. However, Nottingham Forest’s start to the new season has been underwhelming for their supporters, as they are currently enduring a seven-match winless streak in official competitions (3 draws, 4 losses). Their solitary victory came in the opening round of the Premier League against Brentford (3-1) on August 17. Furthermore, Nottingham Forest, once renowned for their strong home performances, have begun to falter at the City Ground, losing six of their last eight matches in the Premier League and League Cup (1 win, 1 draw).

• The team has failed to keep a clean sheet in 17 consecutive official matches.
• The club has not scored at home in 6 of their last 8 matches in the Premier League and League Cup.
• No more than 2 goals were scored in 9 of Nottingham Forest’s last 12 home matches in the Premier League and League Cup.

Probable Lineup: Nottingham Forest (4-5-1)*

Matz Sels – Oleksandr Zinchenko, Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Callum Hudson-Odoi, Elliot Anderson, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Gibbs-White – Igor Jesus.

Team News: Nottingham Forest Injuries

Defenders Murillo, Ola Aina, and midfielder Douglas Luiz are currently sidelined due to injuries.

Midtjylland

Midtjylland’s Current Form

The Herning-based side kicked off their Europa League group stage campaign with a convincing 2-0 home victory over Sturm. This win marks Midtjylland’s fifth consecutive triumph in Europe’s secondary club competition, including qualification matches, with clean sheets kept in their last four outings. Their unbeaten run in the Europa League now stretches to seven matches (5 wins, 2 draws). However, Midtjylland’s away form in this tournament is less impeccable, as they have struggled on the road, failing to win in four of their previous seven away fixtures (1 draw, 3 losses).

• At least one opponent has failed to score in 5 of the Herning side’s last 6 Europa League matches.
• The club has scored at least twice in 5 consecutive matches in this tournament.
• Midtjylland has scored in 8 of their last 11 away matches in the Europa League.

Probable Lineup: Midtjylland (3-4-3)*

Elias Olafsson – Ousmane Diao, Lee Han-beom, Mads Bech Sorensen – Kevin Mbabu, Pedro Bravo, Philip Billing, Denil Castillo – Cho Gue-sung, Junior Brumado, Franculino Djú.

Team News: Midtjylland Injuries

Goalkeeper Ovi Ejeheri, midfielder Dani Silva, and forwards Mikael Gogorza, Dario Osorio are all unavailable due to health issues.

Match Official: Willy Delajod

Willy Delajod (France)

Referee Statistics

Matches officiated – 8 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 29;

Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 25;

Penalties awarded – 50%.

Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland: Our Betting Prediction

Nottingham Forest’s Motivation

Despite a sluggish start to their domestic season, the English squad has demonstrated a serious approach to European fixtures. Nottingham Forest narrowly missed securing a victory in Seville during their opening match, with an experienced Betis side only managing to equalize in the 85th minute at home. I am confident that the English team will approach their first home European encounter with even greater motivation and determination. Nottingham’s loyal fans have not witnessed European battles at their home ground for nearly 30 years. Historically, Nottingham Forest are strong performers at home, having finished 7th among the best home teams in the previous Premier League season, remaining undefeated in 14 of 19 matches (9 wins, 5 draws).

Home Advantage and Scheduling

Moreover, the hosts will be eager to snap their current seven-match winless streak across all official competitions. For the visitors, however, this is a more routine European fixture; the club from Herning has become accustomed to playing on the European stage in recent years, albeit without achieving significant success. In the previous Europa League campaign, Midtjylland finished a modest 20th in the overall group stage, notably losing three of their four away matches (1 win). Another factor favoring the home side is the longer recovery period, as Nottingham Forest played their Premier League match on Saturday, while the Danes are scheduled to play in their domestic league on Monday evening.

Final Prediction

I anticipate that the hosts’ immense motivation will be the primary factor influencing the outcome of this upcoming match. The Nottingham Forest faithful, starved of European victories, should be treated to a home win after such a long absence from European competition. Ange Postecoglou’s side demonstrated their capability to secure such a result in the opening round. My prediction is “Nottingham Forest Win”.

Note on Lineups

* The starting lineup for each team reflects their previous match in this tournament.