At a time when many of their rivals were competing for valuable points in the promotion race, Forest were not only going toe-to-toe with the form team in Europe, but pushing them to the brink, too.
Steve Cooper’s team ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but it will be remembered for an evening of what-ifs, particularly Philip Zinckernagel’s missed opportunity shortly before Diogo Jota’s decisive goal.
Nevertheless, despite the disappointment, Cooper and his squad return to league action full of positives and pride, Forest now having 10 matches to secure a playoff spot that they will feel more than capable of claiming over the next five weeks.
Of all the teams in the division, the East Midlands outfit have the busiest run-in, although there is a strong argument that momentum is everything at this stage of the campaign.
As it stands, Forest are three points adrift of the playoffs, but taking the wider picture into account, they trail third-placed Luton Town by five points and with two matches in hand, highlighting that their fate is in their own hands.
Forest travel to Bloomfield Road on a seven-game unbeaten streak in the Championship to face opponents who have gone four matches without defeat.
Links >> Stream 1 HD Stream 2 HD Stream 3 HD Stream 4
Even though Blackpool look likely to fall short in their bid for the playoffs, Neil Critchley’s team have been a breath of fresh air this campaign, comfortably avoiding a relegation battle that they seemed destined for after promotion from League One.
Last time out, the Seasiders’ 14-match scoring streak in the league came to an end, but only in a hard-earned goalless draw at home to Sheffield United.
Blackpool have now kept three clean sheets in succession and gone 343 minutes without conceding a goal, statistics which will make Cooper and Forest sit up and take note ahead of their trip to the North-West
