Norwich City will welcome Leeds United to Carrow Road in a clash that could have a major impact on who finishes in the EFL Championship playoffs
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will take charge of his 150th Championship game when he travels to his former club Norwich City on Sunday.
It is a venue that the German is familiar with, having taken them to the Premier League twice in a period of four years. He will be aiming to do the same with Leeds this season after the Elland Road outfit suffered the embarrassment of relegation from the top flight last season.
Leeds have enjoyed a patchy start to the 2023/24 league campaign but have slowly yet steadily regained their composure. The return of several key players from injuries have certainly helped them and the Yorkshire side are steadily improving their performances and results.
They head to Carrow Road while occupying the fifth spot in the Championship standings. Leeds are only two points ahead of Norwich, and the home side can leapfrog their opponents with a win on the night.
David Wagner has done a rather decent job with the Canaries and will be a tough opponent for Farke to overcome. A win against a strong side like Leeds United will certainly give Norwich momentum as they traverse up the table.
While Leicester City are running away with the top spot, the rest of the positions are largely up for grabs. Leeds and Norwich both know that a single loss can make a world’s difference when it comes to making the playoff spots. They will be keen to not just avoid defeat on the night but also hand a direct rival a major setback.
To call the clash an early season six-pointer would be an understatement. It promises to be a competitive clash between two teams with aspirations to return to the Premier League. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Norwich City
Ready to go again 👊
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 19, 2023
David Wagner will be without Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes on Saturday, significantly impacting Norwich City’s offensive capabilities. Midfielder Marcelino Nunez is also sidelined alongside defenders Grant Hanley and Jacob Sorensen.
The Canaries will need to show a semblance of consistency to mount a serious challenge for promotion. A win over Leeds will certainly boost their hopes and give them momentum to take forward as the season takes shape.
A 4-2-3-1 formation appears to be the way forward, with Angus Gunn in goal. He will be protected by the backline of Jack Stacey, Shane Duffy, Ben Gibson and Dimitris Giannoulis. Kenny McLean and Gabriel Sara will hold down the fort as the double pivot, giving the trio of Przemysław Płacheta, Liam Gibbs and Jonathan Rowe to act as attacking midfielders.
The frontline should be led by Adam Idah who will be keen to make the most of the opportunities presented to him by the injury setbacks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, Giannoulis; McLean, Sara; Płacheta, Gibbs, Rowe; Idah
Leeds United
The Yorkshire giants have struggled with injuries all season and are now gradually welcoming back their star players. The international break has also afforded them time to get several players back into training.
Speaking in the presser ahead of the game, Daniel Farke confirmed that Djed Spence is still a couple of weeks away from returning to action. Jamie Shackleton is in contention to feature while Wilfried Gnonto and Junior Firpo are both back in training.
The latter two are yet to improve their match fitness, and it is unlikely they will be risked from the start, especially in a tricky trip to Carrow Road.
💬 DF on team news: “Jamie is back, he will travel with the squad. Junior has been back since Tuesday, he had a full session yesterday. Djed will be a couple of weeks, he’s training but not with the team yet, so I expect him to be out for a couple of weeks.” pic.twitter.com/YgxuDWsvxt
— Leeds United (@LUFC) October 19, 2023
Leeds have largely adopted the 4-2-3-1 formation under Farke, and it is likely to continue on the night. Illan Meslier should start in goal behind the back four of Luke Ayling, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Sam Byram.
Archie Gray should retain his spot in the double pivot alongside Ethan Ampadu, providing protection to the visitors’ defence. Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville should provide the width on the night while Joel Piroe continues in the number ten’s role. Georginio Rutter has been an excellent addition to the roster and should retain his spot upfront ahead of Patrick Bamford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Rodon, Struijk, Byram; Gray, Ampadu; James, Piroe, Summerville; Rutter
Key Stats
- A loss on Saturday will see Norwich City lose three straight home games in the league against Leeds United for the first time in their history.
- A win this weekend will see Leeds United win three games in a row against Norwich City for the first time since 1973.
- David Wagner has faced Leeds United three times in the Championship as a manager while in charge of Huddersfield Town. He has won all three games against the Peacocks.
- This is Daniel Farke’s 150th Championship game as a manager. During this time he has won 76 matches. It is a tally bettered only by Steve Bruce (81) and Mick McCarthy (77).
- Gabriel Sara has created 41 chances this season, more than any other player in the Championship during this time.
- Georginio Rutter has created 21 goalscoring opportunities from open play since September, the most of any player in the Championship in that time.
Player to Watch
Georginio Rutter
The 21-year-old has been a solid signing from TSG Hoffenheim and he has added a new dimension to the Leeds frontline. Rutter has thrived in Daniel Farke’s system and has crafted more goalscoring opportunities from open play than any other player in the Championship.
He is expected to lead the line for Leeds at Carrow Road and will be a handful for the Canaries defence to contain. While a return of two goals and three assists in 10 league games represents a modest return, Rutter’s overall gameplay offers far more than what can be put into statistics. The link-up play with Joel Piroe in particular is something that gives Leeds an edge over most Championship defences.
Prediction
Norwich City 1-2 Leeds United
A trip to Carrow Road will not be an easy one, and there will be no love lost between the home crowd and the Leeds manager, Daniel Farke. Norwich City are unlikely to enjoy the bulk of possession and much will depend on how Leeds make use of the ball.
The visitors have the edge when it comes to quality and strength-in-depth, helping them secure all three points on the night. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Leeds United over Norwich City.
