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Match preview
Two massive clubs, from either-side of the Midlands, go head-to-head for a place in the League Cup semi-finals.
Nottingham Forest are four-times winners of this competition, all coming between 1978 and 1990, under the tutelage of legendary manager Brian Clough.
Right now, the Reds are back in the Premier League for the first time since 1999, meaning survival is their primary aim.
By beating Southampton at St Mary’s last mid-week, Taiwo Awoniyi the only scorer, Steve Cooper’s team have moved up to 15th.
On Saturday however, Cooper made 11 changes to his team and they were duly hammered 4-1 by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road in the FA Cup.
Despite what that may suggest, Forest have taken the League Cup very seriously, dumping out Grimsby, Tottenham and Blackburn Rovers to get this far.
So now, will Forest reach their first major cup semi-final since 1992?
Wolverhampton Wanderers meantime were League Cup winners in 1974 and 1980, defeating Forest 1-0 in the latter.
This season, like their hosts, Wolves are in a relegation scrap, although they’ve been reinvigorated by Julen Lopetegui’s appointment.
Since the restart, Wolves have taken four points from three Premier League games, beating Everton and drawing with Aston Villa, both on the road.
Then, at the weekend, the Wanderers were involved in a highly-contentious FA Cup tie at Anfield.
It ended 2-2, Gonçalo Guedes and Hwang Hee-chan scoring, but Wolves were denied a famous win over Liverpool due to a VAR error.
Toti thought he’d won it at the death, but Matheus Nunes was flagged offside, with VAR unable to confirm nor deny if this was the case; it later emerged that Nunes was clearly onside.
Before that replay, Wolves will face a League Cup tie away from home for the first time this season, having overcome Preston North End, Leeds and Gillingham so far.
When these two met in the Premier League at Molineux in October, it was a tale of two penalties.
Rúben Neves converted his, before Brennan Johnson was denied by José Sá towards the end.
Will there be a winner in normal time, or will this tie go to a shootout at the City Ground?
Nottingham Forest team news
Despite welcoming fierce rivals Leicester to the City Ground on Saturday, Steve Cooper will name a strong side here.
In fact, after a dismal display by the seaside at the weekend, don’t be surprised if Cooper reverts to the XI that beat Southampton a week ago.
All four of Forest’s Premier League wins this season have been 1-0, with Taiwo Awoniyi the goal-scorer in three of them.
Morgan Gibbs-White will also be in attack; he made 88 senior appearances for Wolves, the club he joined as an eight year old, before leaving in August.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Henderson; Aurier, Worrall, Boly, Lodi; Yates, Mangala, Freuler; Gibbs-White, Johnson, Awoniyi.
Wolverhampton Wanderers team news
Julen Lopetegui’s team will be significantly less well-rested, after a mentally and physically energy-sapping game at Anfield on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper Matija Šarkić, Joe Hodge and teenager Dexter Lembikisa were all surprise inclusions in that one, but none of that trio are likely to keep their places.
Portuguese trio Matheus Nunes, João Moutinho and Rúben Neves is an ultra-high-quality midfield trio, one that can stand up to any in the county.
Under both Steve Davis and Lopetegui, Hugo Bueno has established himself as the first-choice left-back, with Rayan Aït-Nouri now deployed in advanced areas.
Raúl Jiménez with given a rare start at the weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see if Diego Costa is back in for this one.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): José Sá; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Neves, Nunes, Moutinho; Guedes, Podence, Diego Costa.
Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Head to head statistics
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