Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest
5th September 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Cup
Pick 1-0 Home Win
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 15/2 odds taken 1000 GMT, Friday 4 September
Gerhard Struber’s Barnsley and Sabri Lamouchi’s Nottingham Forest do battle in an all-EFL Championship Carabao Cup first round tie at Oakwell on Saturday afternoon. The pair will have one eye on their Championship openers next weekend, but both teams will want to get their 2020-21 seasons up and running with a win in the cup. Who will come out on top in South Yorkshire this Saturday?
Table of Contents
Barnsley Preview – Tykes to start the season with a home win?
Barnsley were in big trouble all season, but the Tykes managed to survive on the final day. In fact, Barnsley won their last two, winning away at Brentford on the last day after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at home. However, if it wasn’t for Wigan Athletic’s points deduction, Barnsley would be preparing for life back in EFL League One right now.
Barnsley fell at the first hurdle in the EFL Cup last season, falling to a shock 3-0 home reverse to Carlisle United. They won just one cup game last term, beating Crewe Alexandra 3-1 on the road in the Emirates FA Cup. They then lost to Portsmouth in round four of that competition.
Once again, staying in the Championship will be the ultimate goal for Barnsley. Having said that, a decent run in the cup would also be welcome. Can Gerhard Struber’s boys make home advantage count at the weekend?
Nottingham Forest Preview – Can the Reds leave Yorkshire with an EFL Cup victory?
Sabri Lamouchi’s Nottingham Forest will still be kicking themselves after failing to reach the play-offs last term. The Reds spent the majority of the season in the top six and looked nailed on for a play-off spot. However, they ended with three draws and three defeats from six to miss out. On the final day, Lamouchi’s men were beaten 4-1 at home by Stoke City.
Nottingham Forest won just one of their last eight away matches last season. After winning at the Cardiff City Stadium in February, Forest went on to draw the next four on the road before losing at Oakwell in July.
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Picking themselves up after last season’s disappointment will be a tough task, but Nottingham Forest still have an excellent squad of players and will surely be there or thereabouts in the race for the top six. As for Saturday’s game, can the Reds start with a win?
Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest Betting Advice
As we touched on, when these two clashed at Oakwell back in July, Barnsley secured an invaluable three points on home soil. Patrick Schmidt’s last-gasp goal gave the Tykes a 1-0 victory. At the City Ground, Forest won 1-0, with Ben Watson scoring the only goal of the game in September 2019.
Key Facts – Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest Betting Tip
- Both teams won the home fixture 1-0 in the Championship last season
- Seven years have passed since the pair last played out a draw
- On the final day of the league season last term, Barnsley survived, while Forest missed out on the play-offs
This is a tough fixture to call. Both teams will want to advance to round two, but they seem pretty well matched on paper. It could be close on the scoreline, so take a punt on Barnsley to win 1-0 at 15/2.
The best betting odds for Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest
Barnsley to win: 7/5 at Bet365
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Nottingham Forest to win: 19/10 at Bet365
