Carling Cup: The Blues v The Reds

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Nottingham Forest on Tuesday in the second-round of the Carling Cup.

European Cup winners under Brian Clough in 1979 & 1980, the Reds are currently 12th in the Championship with five points from their first four league games.

Relegated from the Premier League in 1999, Forest dropped another level in 2005 and spent three seasons in League One before winning automatic promotion back to the Championship in 2008.

Since then, the Reds have finished 19th, 3rd and 6th in the second tier, losing in the play-off semi-finals to Blackpool in 2010 and Swansea City last season.

To reach the second-round of the Carling Cup, Forest squeezed past near-neighbours Notts County who travelled the short distance to the City Ground and gave a spirited performance to lead 3-2 before conceding a 123rd minute equaliser and losing 4-3 on penalties.

During the summer, former England manager Steve McClaren became Forest's 15th manager since Brian Clough's retirement in 1993.

Wycombe are currently 15th in League One with five points from their opening four league games.

On Saturday, the Blues lost for the first time this season, a 2-0 defeat at home to Bury ending an unbeaten run of fourteen games in all competitions.

They reached the second-round of the Carling Cup by beating Colchester United 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw at Adams Park.

The only previous meetings between the Blues and the Reds were also in the second-round of the League Cup, with Forest winning 1-0 at the City Ground on 18th September 1996 and the two sides drawing 1-1 at Adams Park six days later.


Forest's season so far (All Competitions)

FLC: Barnsley (H).............Drew 0-0

Ccp: Notts County (H)........Won 3-3 (4-3 on pens)

FLC: Millwall (A).................Lost 0-2

FLC: Doncaster (A)............Won 1-0

FLC: Leicester (H).............Drew 2-2


Wycombe's season so far (All Competitions)

LG1: Scunthorpe (H).........Drew 1-1

Ccp: Colchester (H)...........Won 3-3 (5-4 on pens)

LG1: Colchestert (A).........Drew 1-1

LG1: Orient (A)..................Won 3-1

LG1: Bury (H)....................Lost 0-2


The Man in the Middle

Tuesday's referee is Danny McDermid from Hampshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2006. His most recent Wycombe game was April's 2-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra at Adams Park. So far this season he's issued 1 red and 8 yellow cards in 4 games.


Prediction

Wycombe 0 Nottingham Forest 2

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