Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest Prediction (17.01.2024)

While the fourth round draw of the FA Cup has already been made, there’s a whole bunch of third round replays we need to get through over the course of the next few days. This is the last chance for many clubs to make their way through to the next round as the magic of the cup continues to sweep the nation. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be a fun clash between Blackpool and Nottingham Forest.

The days of Blackpool competing in the top flight are over, and now, it’s more a case of trying to fight their way back up into the second tier. They have a passionate fanbase that is willing to follow them to the end of the earth, and we’d actually argue that this is a great cup tie for them. At this point, it all comes down to how much they’re willing to fight for it on the day.

Blackpool had just three shots against Nottingham Forest in the original fixture - but they made them count. The boys from the seaside went 2-0 up in just a matter of minutes in the first half, but unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on and ultimately came away with a 2-2 draw.

Nottingham Forest did a good job of throwing money against the wall to see what sticks in their first season back in the Premier League. This time around, they’ve been slightly more conservative, and many don’t know what the future holds. Steve Cooper’s run as manager has come to an end, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking on the role in an attempt to steady the ship.

Forest are still figuring a few things out but against Blackpool, their defending is what let them down. They had 72% possession and 17 shots, but they went 2-0 down in the first half and left themselves a mountain to climb. Thankfully for them, they made the comeback happen, but there’s still lots of work to do.

Blackpool proved that they can mix it up with Forest in the reverse fixture, and that’s exactly the kind of impact we expect them to have here against a side that seems to be a bit wounded right now. It’s going to be a thrilling game, and our official prediction is that over 2.5 goals will be scored.