Both sides lined up in a back three, and the systems more or less cancelled each other out for much of the first half. Igor Jesus produced the first effort of note, but new Leeds signing James Trafford did well to stay alert and palm the header away.
Ola Aina then survived a red card check after he had scissored into a tackle, potentially becoming the first beneficiary of a new directive to keep VAR intervention to a minimum this season.
The contest gradually began to open up a little, and only the offside flag denied Harry Wilson the dream start for his new club. At the other end, Forest came agonisingly close to opening the scoring from a corner just before the break. Jair Cunha’s header came back off the post, bouncing just too high for Jesus to smuggle in the rebound.
Into the second period, Jesus once again found himself in the thick of the action, nodding a teasing Aina cross wide of the post. He was soon joined in attack by Chris Wood, summoned from the bench to replace Dan Ndoye, and the big striker spurned a good chance following Murillo’s determined run from centre-back.
Tarik Muharemovic then had a golden opportunity for Leeds, but his header was well saved by Matz Sels.
Both sides looked as though they would be content to settle for a reasonably satisfactory opening-day draw, until Anton Stach caught out Sels at his near post with a clever free-kick to steal the three points late on.
Glasner will be left bitterly disappointed, especially having won his opening match at four of his last five clubs. But he won’t have to wait long for the chance to make amends, with the two sides set to meet again in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
Flashscore Man of the Match: James Justin (Leeds United)
