Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Both teams claimed victories in the previous round, each in their unique manner. Leicester City's win was spectacular, while Nottingham Forest's was pragmatic. How will this match unfold — in the style of the former or the latter?
Leicester City
Leicester City secured their first away victory in an intense manner, giving Southampton a two-goal head start. They struggled with accuracy, particularly in the first half: seven shots and none on target. The second half began with a scoreline of 0:2 and concluded 3:2 — almost the perfect comeback: 11 shots, four on target, three goals, and finally 2.41 xG compared to 0.47 xGA, with the opposition conceding a penalty and a player being sent off. This marked Leicester City's second consecutive win, lifting them from 17th to 14th place.
Nottingham Forest
In the eighth round, Nottingham Forest edged out Crystal Palace in their typical style (1:0) with an atypical goal from Chris Wood (from outside the box). It wasn't that the team were invincible; at least one effort was denied by the woodwork in the first half, and Matz Sels earned high marks for several spectacular saves.
Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
Will it be a decisive or narrow victory? Or perhaps a draw? In reality, 3.21 xG generated by Leicester City against Southampton is an anomaly, influenced by a specific opponent that allowed almost anything in their penalty area. Typically, they create around 1 xG. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest's xG tends to range between 0.5 to 1.5 xG. Therefore, expect a pragmatic victory or a draw with few goals.
