Nottingham Forest need to rouse themselves for a final push in the race for a UCL slot

Nottingham Forest need to rouse themselves for a final push in the race for a Champions League slot, starting with this tricky trip to Crystal Palace in an intriguing Premier League clash.

It has been an impressive season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who started the season as fourth favourites for the drop but could end it sitting inside the top four.

Forest also blazed a trail to the FA Cup semi-finals but their hopes of joining Palace in the Wembley showpiece ended with a 2-0 loss to Manchester City last Sunday as betting against BTTS paid off for me.

Santo’s side then crashed to another 2-0 loss at home to Brentford on Thursday night and that has left them sitting sixth in the Premier League table with four games to go.

A final-day shootout with Chelsea could end up being decisive but this game is a potential banana skin with Palace looking to stay in form ahead of their date with destiny in the FA Cup final.

Their 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday, which brought up a full house of tips for our man Andy, showed how dangerous Oliver Glasner’s side can be. Now the Eagles will be brimming with confidence as they bid to put a dent in Forest’s Champions League hopes.

Nottingham Forest have gone eight games unbeaten against Crystal Palace but five of those matches have ended in draws. Forest’s 1-0 win at the City Ground earlier this season broke a run of three successive stalemates in this fixture and it has also ended level on their last three trips to Selhurst Park.

Forest’s squad is in great health, with Ola Aina making his comeback from injury against Brentford. Santo will probably freshen things up a bit with the quick turnaround from Thursday night. Palace are set to be without Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad again.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Guehi, Richards, Lacroix, Mitchell, Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Murillo, Toffolo, Milenkovic, Williams, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Elanga, Wood.