Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United is now just four days away, and new Forest boss Oliver Glasner is already braced for a bruising afternoon at the City Ground. The Whites open their 2026/27 Premier League campaign in the East Midlands on Saturday, and Glasner expects Daniel Farke’s side to be among the most physical outfits in the division, with a heavy focus on set-pieces, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Both sides head into the weekend in encouraging shape. Leeds signed off their summer with a 4-0 win over Augsburg, a fourth victory from six friendlies, while Forest put together back-to-back wins against Bayer Leverkusen and Brest, the latter a 2-0 success on Sunday. Glasner, who left Crystal Palace to take charge at the City Ground this summer, knows the Leeds threat from dead balls first-hand after facing them last season.
Glasner confident before Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United opener
The Forest manager says the mood in his squad is high after a productive final week of preparation.
“It’s always best to end pre-season with a win, it only helps with the confidence,” Glasner said on Sunday. “We’ve had a good week with the win against Bayer Leverkusen as well but it’s not just the wins, it’s the performances. I can see we’re getting a better structure and we’ll keep communicating with the players. The Premier League will start, and things will be different of course but it’s good for us to end pre-season with a win.”
Farke, meanwhile, has spent pre-season fine-tuning a shape that asks plenty of his defenders, with Joe Rodon handed a new role in the Leeds build-up. The two sides get their seasons under way at the City Ground on Saturday.
