- Nottingham Forest U21 have been in good form of late, winning their last two matches and losing none
- Forest U21 have never lost any of their two prior home head-to-head fixtures with Crystal Palace U21
- Crystal Palace U21 have won two of their last five and have suffered two defeats during that sequence
In-form Forest can maintain winning run against Palace
Nottingham Forest U21 will be eager to extend their current winning run when they host Crystal Palace U21, the team who came out on top in the most recent meeting in Premier League 2 2025-2026, winning 2-1 at Selhurst Park last season. Warren Joyce’s men are on the rise after two consecutive victories, most recently a dominant 3-0 win over Newcastle United Academy at home.
In stark contrast to Crystal Palace U21, Nottingham Forest U21 are a pragmatically-minded team who like to play compact and set up in structured positions. Joyce’s boys have a solid structure and are disciplined in terms of tempo, which has been key to their recent success. Young Jack Thompson has been a key player for Forest U21 in recent weeks, the English attacker has chipped in with two goals in his last five appearances and can be an electric spark for his team in attack.
Palace U21 are a direct team who are not afraid to be physical, they press their opponents and can get forward quickly on the counter. The Eagles are a talented side with pace and strength up front, notably from Victor Akinwale and David Omilabu, but they have shipped 17 goals in their nine away games so far in the 2025-2026 campaign. Palace will likely up the tempo of the match after the turnovers they create and, with their prolific set-piece prowess, they can be lethal on the road.
Intriguing matchup between contrasting styles
Given that Palace U21 currently sit 11th in the table with 28 points from 18 games while Forest U21 sit in 17th with 23 points from 19 matches, this match could have significant implications in terms of late-season play-off pushes for both sets of young players.
Nottingham Forest U21 have been less than impressive at home in Premier League 2 2025-2026, winning just three and losing five of their nine matches. However, this sequence has seen a recent upturn in form, which has seen them win one and lose two of their last three. While Palace U21 have been decent away from home in this division, winning four, drawing one and losing four of their previous nine, they’ll likely come up against the best version of Nottingham Forest U21 in this clash.
Two teams in good recent form could serve up a thriller
Both teams to score is a slight favourite at 12/25, which is understandable given that Crystal Palace U21 have shipped 17 goals in 9 away games, while Forest U21 have conceded 12 goals in 9 home matches.
The hosts come into this one on a good run and should be able to push Palace U21 for the win here. At 101/100, Nottingham Forest U21 are a slight favorite but Palace U21 can also be backed at 197/100, which suggests this should be a close contest. We’re siding with Joyce’s youngsters to maintain their good run with a home victory.
