Nottingham Forest come into this Premier League curtain-raiser with real momentum. Their recent run-in brought three wins, a draw and a defeat — that is a side that knows how to grind out results when it matters. The City Ground will be rocking for the first game of the season, and Forest have that nasty habit of making life miserable for visitors in these high-octane openers. They edged a 1-0 win over 15 de Agosto in the CAF Confederation Cup recently, which shows they can win ugly when required. That defensive resilience, built on a 4-2-3-1 shape, is exactly what you need in a tight opener.

Leeds United, though, arrive in frightening form. Unbeaten in their final five games of last season, they then dismantled FC Augsburg 4-0 in their final pre-season friendly. That front line is firing on all cylinders. They also battled to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in midweek, which tells you they are not scared of the big occasion. But here is the thing — this is a different beast. Opening day at the City Ground, under the lights, with Forest's crowd breathing down your neck. Leeds have the quality, but do they have the composure? Recent history says these two produce frantic, direct, high-octane encounters, and that suits Forest's physical, second-ball game perfectly.