Nottingham Forest 0 Wolves 0 - Report
Wolves and Nottingham Forest played out a 0-0 draw at the City Ground in a match where the hosts wasted several chances to win it.
Forest peppered Wolves’ box with crosses and created plenty of opportunities in the first half, as Wolves struggled to offer anything in possession or going forward.
The visitors were slightly more energetic and created more in the second half, but Forest had enough openings to win it.
Goalkeeper Jose Sa pulled off a tremendous save to keep it 0-0 when Morato poked towards goal from close range, before Mateus Mane had a huge chance to win it for Wolves in the final minute, but shot straight at the goalkeeper.
In the end, Wolves ended their three-game losing run to take a point back to the Black Country.
Analysis
Rob Edwards made two changes to his Wolves side as he returned to the 5-3-2 formation.
Rodrigo Gomes and Ladislav Krejci came in for Matt Doherty and Hwang Hee-chan, with the latter missing out due to a calf injury.
Andre and Toti Gomes were also unavailable due to calf and hamstring injuries respectively, as Wolves named three inexperienced academy players on the bench.
Former Wolves academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White started for Forest.
The hosts started well and had a lot of territory in Wolves’ final third, as they searched for an opener.
Gibbs-White did well to release Ola Aina down the right, who caused some issues with his cross, while Omari Hutchinson was being found in plenty of space down the same flank.
On the left, Callum Hudson-Odoi charged forward before cutting inside and dragging his shot side.
Gibbs-White had a huge chance when he got the run on R.Gomes at the far post to meet an Elliot Anderson cross, but he headed into the side netting.
It was a pedestrian opening 20 minutes from Wolves, who offered very little going forward and played at a slow pace without intensity.
Wolves had a massive let off when Forest created a six against one situation, when they broke forward following a Wolves free-kick, with Hudson-Odoi down the left.
He cut it back for Lorenzo Lucca, who somehow smashed the ball over the bar.
Wolves were unable to drag themselves into the game and Hutchinson missed from the edge of the box shortly after.
Moments later, Gibbs-White crossed for Lucca, who was unable to make a connection at the near post.
Tolu Arokodare then sold Hugo Bueno short with a woeful pass, as Wolves struggled to get out of their box and Forest created attack after attack.
Arokodare headed just wide before half-time, as Wolves managed to get to the break at 0-0.
Wolves had a bit more energy about them at the start of the second half, but Forest had the first chance when Morato headed just wide from a Hutchinson cross.
The visitors had a glorious chance to get the ball into the box when H.Bueno won it back and attacked, but his cross was blocked before he then gave it away, allowing Forest to break.
Gibbs-White got away and set up Hudson-Odoi, who frustrated the home support by shooting straight at goalkeeper Sa.
That set up a period where Forest peppered Wolves’ goal with set pieces and chances, but the home crowd became increasingly frustrated as they squandered every opportunity.
One bit of quality saw Mane and Angel Gomes play a one-two, allowing the former to test Stefan Ortega in the Forest goal, who did well to get down and make the save.
Forest looked certain to score when Neco Williams kept a corner routine alive at the far post and Sa first instinctively saved Igor Jesus’ punt towards goal, before clawing the ball off the line tremendously to deny Morato’s follow-up
As the game ticked in added time, Jackson Tchatchoua almost gave Forest a gift when he tried to head back to goalkeeper Sa, but Ibrahim Sangare instead intercepted it. Wolves got away with it, however, as the ball went out of play.
Wolves had a huge chance in the last minute of the game as they went on a four against one break, with Arokodare finding Mane with just Ortega to beat, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper, as the game ended 0-0.
Teams
Wolves: Sa, R.Gomes (Tchatchoua, 60), Mosquera, S.Bueno, Krejci, H.Bueno (Wolfe, 60), J.Gomes, A.Gomes (Bellegarde, 78), Mane, Armstrong, Arokodare.
Subs not used: Johnstone, Doherty, Lima, Sutherland, Rawlings, Edozie.
Nottingham Forest: Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi (Ndoye, 64), Lucca (Jesus, 71).
Subs not used: Gunn, Netz, Cunha, Dominguez, McAtee, Yates, Awoniyi.
