Nottingham Forest vs Vitoria de Guimaraes preview: Team news, line-ups, where to watch (26/07/2026)
Preview, team news, head-to-head, probable line-ups and where to watch Nottingham Forest vs Vitoria de Guimaraes in a pre-season friendly match of two 60-min halves
Nottingham Forest face Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal on Sunday, July 26, as both sides continue their preparations for the new season.
The Premier League side endured a difficult 2025/26 campaign, finishing 16th in the table with 44 points after spending much of the season looking over their shoulders at the relegation battle.
Forest did, however, enjoy an impressive run in Europe, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in what was a memorable continental campaign despite their domestic struggles.
They have now turned to Oliver Glasner, who became the club’s fifth permanent manager in the space of just 12 months following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira.
Glasner, who joins in controversial fashion after his contract expired at Crystal Palace, has made an encouraging start to life at the City Ground with a 2-0 victory over Notts County, before Forest followed that up with another win against Blackburn during their training camp in Portugal.
Vitoria, meanwhile, finished ninth in the Primeira Liga last season with 42 points. Their campaign was largely steady rather than spectacular, although they were considerably stronger at home, collecting 28 points from 17 matches.
Latest team news
Nottingham Forest
Glasner has started his Forest reign with back-to-back pre-season victories, with Igor Jesus and Arnaud Kalimuendo both scoring in the wins over Notts County and Blackburn. Taiwo Awoniyi also opened his pre-season account against Blackburn.
The German coach has confirmed that Sunday’s fixture will be played over two 60-minute halves rather than the traditional 90 minutes as he gradually increases the workload on his squad.
Forest’s World Cup players are being managed carefully, with some agreeing to return earlier than initially planned. However, those still enjoying extended post-tournament breaks are unlikely to feature against Vitoria.
Forest’s first summer signing has already arrived in the form of Austria international Xaver Schlager, who joined on a free transfer from RB Leipzig. Glasner knows the midfielder well from their time together at Wolfsburg, although Schlager is not expected to feature after starting all four of Austria’s matches at the World Cup.
There has also been significant movement in the opposite direction. Elliot Anderson has joined Manchester City for around £115m, while David Carmo and Jota Silva have both moved to Olympiacos – the club owned by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis – with Silva joining on loan.
Angus Gunn, Stefan Ortega and Willy Boly have also departed, while Lorenzo Lucca has returned to Napoli following the conclusion of his loan spell.
Vitoria de Guimaraes
Vitoria come into the match with plenty of minutes already under their belts after playing twice on the same day during their Algarve training camp.
Tiago Margarido‘s team defeated Penafiel 5-0 in a game split into three 30-minute periods, before later beating Academica OAF 2-0 despite the demanding schedule.
The Portuguese coach described the performances as encouraging evidence of a squad continuing to develop, and Sunday’s meeting with Forest should represent Vitoria’s toughest test of pre-season so far.
The fixture also brings their Algarve training camp, which began on July 20, to an end.
Head-to-head
Nottingham Forest and Vitoria de Guimaraes have rarely crossed paths, and this match will be the first recorded meeting between the two clubs.
Predicted line-ups
With Forest’s fixture being played over two 60-minute halves, Glasner is likely to use the match as another opportunity to build fitness and assess different combinations.
The Forest boss is also managing the return of players who featured at the World Cup, meaning the starting XI could be significantly different from the side that begins the Premier League season.
Vitoria, meanwhile, have already completed a demanding double-header during their Algarve camp and could use this match to test themselves against Premier League opposition.
Nottingham Forest predicted XI: Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Kalimuendo, Awoniyi, Igor Jesus
Vitoria de Guimaraes predicted XI: Charles, Maga, Borevkovic, Jorge Fernandes, Tiago Silva, Manu Silva, Joao Mendes, Telmo Arcanjo, Beni, Alioune Ndoye, Oumar Camara
Key players to watch
Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest)
Igor Jesus has made an excellent start to Forest’s pre-season, scoring in both of the club’s opening victories under Glasner.
The Brazilian striker will be keen to continue that momentum as he competes for a prominent role in a Forest attack that has undergone plenty of change in recent months. Another goal against Vitoria would further strengthen his case as Glasner continues to assess his attacking options.
Joao Mendes (Vitoria de Guimaraes)
Mendes was among the goals during Vitoria’s 5-0 victory over Penafiel and will be one of the players Forest need to keep an eye on.
Vitoria have already shown that they can find the net regularly during pre-season, and Mendes’ movement and attacking threat could cause problems for a Forest defence that is still adjusting to a new manager and potentially several new combinations.
Where to watch Nottingham Forest vs Vitoria de Guimaraes
The Nottingham Forest vs Vitoria de Guimaraes friendly kicks off at 12:00 BST on Sunday, July 26.
The match is being played in Portugal as part of Forest’s pre-season preparations. The game will not be broadcast on major television networks in the UK.
Fans should check Nottingham Forest’s official channels for the latest information regarding any available live-streaming options.
Nottingham Forest vs Vitoria Guimaraes prediction
Nottingham Forest are likely to enter the match as favourites given the gulf between the Premier League and Primeira Liga, although the unusual format of two 60-minute halves could make the outcome more difficult to predict.
Glasner has made a positive start with two pre-season wins, while Vitoria have also shown promising early form after their own double victory during their Algarve training camp.
Forest should have too much quality across the pitch, but Vitoria’s greater familiarity with their surroundings and a full week of preparation in Portugal could help make this a competitive contest.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 3-2 Vitoria de Guimaraes
