MATCHDAY at the City Ground. Tarik Muharemović and Leeds United begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign today with an away fixture against Nottingham Forest.
The match kicks off at 3:00pm BST, with Daniel Farke's side finally moving from pre-season preparation into competitive football.
For Muharemović, the afternoon could mark another important step in his Leeds career after a highly encouraging summer and a memorable first goal for the club against Augsburg.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United today
Leeds arrive at the City Ground following a productive pre-season programme in which they faced a number of high-level opponents.
The Whites finished their preparations in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 victory over FC Augsburg at Elland Road, giving the squad confidence ahead of the opening weekend.
Muharemović was one of the scorers in that match, finding the net in the first half to register his first goal in Leeds colours. You can revisit that moment in our report after Tarik Muharemović scored against Augsburg.
First Premier League test for Muharemović
Today's game represents a different challenge entirely.
Pre-season allowed Muharemović to build rhythm, adapt to his new teammates and become familiar with Daniel Farke's defensive system, but competitive Premier League football brings a new level of intensity and pressure.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international featured regularly during the closing stages of Leeds' preparations and will now be hoping to carry that form into the opening round.
His progress since joining the club can also be followed on our dedicated Tarik Muharemović Leeds United career page.
Leeds squad almost at full strength
Daniel Farke heads into the season opener with almost his entire squad available.
Leeds have confirmed that Willy Gnonto will miss the game because of a hamstring injury, while Gabriel Gudmundsson is also unavailable. The rest of the squad was available heading into the fixture.
That gives Farke a number of options across the pitch, particularly in defence after the club strengthened the back line during the summer.
Muharemović will therefore be hoping that his performances during pre-season have done enough to earn him an important role from the beginning of the campaign.
City Ground provides tough opening challenge
Nottingham Forest will be looking to make home advantage count in their first Premier League fixture of the season.
The City Ground is capable of producing an intense atmosphere, and Leeds will need to be disciplined from the opening minutes if they want to avoid allowing the hosts to build early momentum.
For the Leeds defence, that means dealing with Forest's physicality, pace and attacking movement while remaining composed in possession.
From Muharemović's perspective, the match could offer an immediate opportunity to show how quickly he has adapted to English football.
Leeds looking to carry pre-season momentum forward
Farke's team produced several encouraging performances during the summer, including victories over RB Leipzig and Augsburg and a draw against Manchester United.
Those results have created optimism, but the Premier League opener is where the real measure begins.
We looked in more detail at the challenge ahead in our earlier Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United preview.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: Match details
- Fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United
- Competition: Premier League
- Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Kick-off: 3:00pm BST
- Venue: City Ground, Nottingham
For Leeds, today marks the beginning of another long Premier League campaign.
For Muharemović, it could be the first opportunity to translate an impressive pre-season into competitive league football and make an immediate impact in his first major test of the new season.
