Nottingham Forest go to Bournemouth on Tuesday night (7pm kick-off) knowing a win would make them favourites to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The stakes are high as the teams go head-to-head at the Vitality Stadium. If the Reds avoid defeat, the fight for automatic promotion will go down to the final day. Victory would see them leapfrog their opponents into second spot. A win for the Cherries, on the other hand, would guarantee them a place in the top flight ands consign Forest to the play-offs.
It promises to be a mouth-watering, nerve-wracking encounter on the south coast. But Steve Cooper’s side go into the game in terrific form, having won seven of their last eight fixtures. The game was discussed at length in the latest Garibaldi Red Podcast. You can listen to the full conversation with Matt Davies, Reds reporter Sarah Clapson and fan Mikey Clarke here.
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How are you feeling about the game?
MC: "I'm seeing this as a bonus. It's a cliche but if you said to me after seven games we'd have the play-offs sewn up and a chance of automatic, I'd have said you were mad.
"The fact we have play-offs sewn up and will be at home second leg, all this Bournemouth stuff is a bonus. It's like trying to get a gold medal at the end instead of a silver.
"I'm not really nervous, but if it were the play-offs I'd be terrified. At the moment, if we win the next two games it is incredible."
SC: "Terrified. I've been terrified for a few weeks. It's a bonus game, but it's so close now, it's a great incentive. What I will say is there is no sense of nerves in the squad. Steve Cooper says they wanted to play them on Saturday night. We've seen Forest thrive on the big stage this season, but there's so much on it that I'm terrified."
Would you make any changes?
MC: "I'd pick the same team. It's got to be the same team."
SC: "There's no question for me, it's got to be the same team. Steve Cook will be desperate to do well. He's well up for it."
How should Forest go about the game?
SC: "They'll go out to win. That's how they approach every game. The way they played the Fulham game worked. They'll come under pressure and I think it will be a tense game. Bournemouth know they're up with a win. There won't be a lot in it so it's about cool heads and fine margins - I know I sound like Mark Warburton there."
MC: "The back three will be vital. I don't expect Bournemouth to dominate the ball like Swansea did, but their attackers will be much more threatening. I hope we get in their faces and press them.
"The pressure is on Bournemouth. We've got a striker now who is in form. Brennan Johnson is in form and Zinckernagel too. I think we'll score. Can we keep them out? If we win then I'll be so nervous at Hull."
Who is the pressure on?
SC: "Absolutely the pressure is on them. They've seen Forest charging at them. Scott Parker was almost at Kevin Keegan levels last week talking about this game. Forest have nothing to lose, Bournemouth have."
