A 3-0 loss at the weekend against Chelsea made it ten successive games without a win for Nottingham Forest, who have dropped into the relegation zone. That defeat brought about the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou from his managerial duties.

Normally so good on home turf, the Tricky Trees have lost four straight games at the City Ground, with three of those to nil, to highlight their turgid run of form. They will be relying on the infamous new manager bounce to spark a resurgence. 

By contrast, Porto arrive in outstanding form. The Dragons have won seven of their eight matches in the Portuguese top flight - their one draw came in a tough matchup against Benfica just before the international break.

Porto have also won both Europa League matches, putting them in a strong position to secure automatic qualification to the knockout stages. After eleven matches in all competitions this campaign, Porto have conceded just twice.

First and foremost, Porto have been a strong defensive side, but they have also managed to score 19 goals from their eight Liga Portugal matches. In fact, the Dragons have registered the second-most shots and shots on target in the entire division, showing just how dominant they have been.

Porto are adept at sustaining possession and making it difficult for their opponents to get out of their own half, meaning they can fully exert their dominance. The Dragons have forced at least two saves from their opposing goalkeeper in all eight league matches, and in both European outings this season. 

Meanwhile, Matz Sels has been kept busy for Nottingham Forest so far. He is averaging 3.1 saves per game in all competitions, landing this selection in nine of his ten matches in total. Sean Dyche will likely deploy more pragmatic tactics than Postecoglou, but it will take some time for those instructions to be instilled within the Forest players.

Elliot Anderson has been a shining light in this struggling Forest side, standing out as a consistent performer for both club and country. The England international has drawn the third-most fouls of any player in the Premier League this season, averaging 3.2 fouls drawn per 90.

He will be the primary matchup for Victor Froholdt, who is averaging 1.53 fouls per 90 in all competitions this season. After arriving from FC Copenhagen in the summer, Froholdt has been a key player for Porto this season, with his energy and intensity in midfield. The 19-year-old has started all eight league matches, landing this bet in seven of those, while also registering a foul against Salzburg on his only Europa League start. 

Anderson is adept at drawing contact and soft free-kicks, which marries up nicely with Froholdt’s combative style to back the youngster to commit a foul.

It’s a great time to face Forest at the moment, a side in a dreadful run of form, still licking their wounds from that weekend loss against Chelsea, with the uncertainty of another new manager arriving. Porto have every reason to be confident coming into this midweek clash as they look to maintain their perfect record. 

The Tricky Trees have leaked chances, and rank fifth in the Premier League for total shots conceded. In addition, their opponents are hitting the target with 39.7% of their efforts, highlighting how Forest are putting up little defensive resistance. 

Gabriel Veiga is averaging 2.58 shots for Porto from a midfield position, and has registered a shot on target in four of his seven starts this term. He has already scored once, while the 23-year-old will also take responsibility for free-kicks. The Spaniard should be eager to impress on Thursday night against a Premier League club.