Nottingham Forest's pre-season preparations continued with a double friendly against Udinese and Barcelona in the Friuli Venezia Giulia tournament. The team suffered a 1-0 loss in both games, but there were positives to take away from the matches. Xaver Schlager, the Austrian midfielder, was a standout performer in the 45 minutes he played against Udinese. He was a whirl of energy from start to finish, covering a lot of ground and making some incisive passes. Schlager already feels like the kind of player that Forest fans will love, and opposition sides will be less keen on, for all the right reasons. ## What happened? The team that faced Barcelona looked more like Oliver Glasner's strongest XI, but they still lost 1-0. The game against Udinese was a different story, with Forest making significant progress off the pitch as a deal was finally secured to sign defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP prior to kick-off. ## Why it matters for Nottingham Forest The signing of Diomande is a potentially key addition to the squad, bringing some much-needed physical presence and stature to the Forest ranks. The team's potential fragility from set pieces has been a concern for manager Oliver Glasner, and Diomande's arrival could help alleviate this issue. ## What comes next? Nottingham Forest will look to build on the positives from these friendly matches as they prepare for the visit of Leeds United for the Premier League kick-off on Saturday August 22. The team will be hoping to get off to a strong start in the new season, and the signing of Diomande could be a key factor in their success. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 16th in Premier League, 44 pts, 11W-11D-16L from 38 games, recent form DLDWW. Goals this season: 48 scored, 51 conceded (-3 goal difference). Title race: 41 points behind leaders Arsenal. Last result: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Bournemouth (2026-05-24). Recent form (last 5): 0W-3D-2L (DDLLD, most recent first). Next fixture: vs Coventry (at home, 2026-09-19).