Wigan Athletic vs Nottingham Forest U21 Prediction 12.11.2024 | EFL Trophy

• Competition: England - EFL Trophy
• Date: Tuesday, 12th, November 2024
• Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20.00 CEST
• Venue: The Brick Community Stadium (Wigan)

In their bid to reach the knockout rounds of the EFL Trophy, Wigan Athletic will welcome Nottingham Forest Under-21s to the Brick Community Stadium for a crucial Tuesday night clash.

Although they appeared more commanding and came closer to scoring on multiple occasions, a lone strike from Wycombe's Joe Low in the 11th minute sealed Wigan Athletic's fate, marking their sixth loss of the season and leaving them a mere two points above the dreaded dotted line. While the mood around Brick Community is far from ideal due to a recent slump in form, the Latics are now focusing their efforts on the EFL Trophy, where they aim to qualify for the elimination phase for the third successive year, and all they need to achieve this is to remain unbeaten in Tuesday's contest.

Nottingham Forest Under-21s are approaching this crucial midweek encounter in an upbeat mood, having put on a stellar display to crush Hull City U21 5-1 in their last match, maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League Cup standings with a flawless nine points. In their debut appearance in the EFL Trophy last season, it’s fair to say that Warren Joyce’s side didn’t disappoint, as they managed to progress beyond the group stage before being eliminated at the first hurdle in the knockout phase, and this year, they’ll be aiming for another shot at reaching the next stage.

Wigan Athletic vs Nottingham Forest U21 Betting Tips: UNDER 3.5

While it's well-known that cup matches are often full of goals, this time we hope for the opposite, believing that the Latics will emerge as winners with a narrow scoreline. In League One's 24-team division, the blue-and-white-clad boys find themselves at the very bottom of the table in terms of efficiency, with an average of just 1.7 goals per match, and only two of their 14 third-tier games have featured four or more goals. With a reliable defense that has kept eight clean sheets in the last 12 competitive matches, the team’s strength is clear, but the Latics have struggled to find the back of the net recently, as three of their last five outings ended without scoring. While Forest U21 have been scoring goals for fun recently, it’s hard to imagine their attacking unit making much of an impact against a tough Wigan side who possess enough defensive solidity to keep their Tuesday opponent at bay, but their lack of creativity in attack suggests that this match could be relatively quiet.