Leeds United will aim to put their shock loss against Sunderland behind them when they face Coventry City this weekend.
Daniel Farke saw his Leeds United side fall to an expected loss at the Stadium of Light this week and will now welcome Coventry City to Elland Road with all three points in his sights.
The loss to Sunderland has left the Yorkshire side ten points off the top two spots in the EFL Championship standings. With neither Leicester City nor Ipswich Town ceding ground, Farke and co. have a huge task ahead of them as the second half of the campaign awaits.
Coventry City have picked up their results of late but are currently comfortable in midtable. They held Southampton to a draw in the last round and will be buzzing with confidence ahead of the trip to Elland Road.
While Leeds can be caught out, they will be on alert following the reversal at Sunderland. The Yorkshire giants do have a solid squad, but they will be better served finishing in the top two than secure a spot in the Championship lottery.
Leeds remain the only side in the second tier yet to taste defeat at home. Whether Coventry can help buck that trend remains to be seen. Either way, the tie could have a huge role to play in where Leeds end up this season. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how these two sides will line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
With games coming thick and fast, Daniel Farke is likely to make changes to his playing XI following the defeat at Sunderland. The midweek defeat leaves the Whites ten points behind the coveted second spot in their bid to secure automatic promotion to the English Premier League.
This inconsistency has often left Leeds United short in their bid to close the gap to Leicester City and Ipswich Town. While there is still a long way to go this season, Leeds cannot afford to drop cheap points, especially not at Elland Road.
As things stand, Stuart Dallas and Junior Firpo remain the only absentees for Leeds. Farke is likely to retain his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation, with Illan Meslier in goal. Liverpool target Archie Gray should continue at right-back with the trio of Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk also retaining their spots in the backline, while Sam Byram should replace Djed Spence at left-back.
Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara should also retain their spots as the double pivot, holding the fort for Daniel James, Joel Piroe and Crysencio Summerville to get the ball forward. Georginio Rutter should once again get the nod over Patrick Bamford and will hope to rediscover his scoring boots.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Struijk, Byram; Ampadu, Kamara; James, Piroe, Summerville; Rutter
Coventry City
The Sky Blues are in midtable and closer to the relegation zone than the top six, although it by a mere one point. With three wins in the last five league games, Coventry are in decent form and can spring a surprise on their day.
With Leeds United failing to turn up at times, it would be unwise to dismiss them for the trip to Elland Road. Especially so after they held fourth placed Southampton to a 1-1 draw earlier this week.
Mark Robins will be without Fabio Tavares on the night but has an otherwise fully fit squad at his disposal. He should set up the visitors in a 4-2-3-1 formation that should mirror their opponents on the night.
Bradley Collins should start in goal behind the back four of Milan van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching and Jake Bidwell. Jamie Allen and Ben Sheaf should hold the fort in central midfield with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright providing the width. Callum O’Hare should don the role of the number ten, with Ellis Simms leading the line upfront.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Collins; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell; Allen, Sheaf; Sakamoto, , O’Hare, Wright; Simms
Key Stats
- This is the first league clash between Leeds United and Coventry City since 2012.
- Coventry City have won just one of their last 21 trips to Leeds, all the way back in 1996. They have since lost 15 and drawn the remaining five matches at Elland Road.
- A win on the night will see Leeds win eight league games in a row at home for the first time since 1991.
- A loss on the night will see Coventry match their away loss tally (Seven) from the entirety of the 2022-23 season.
- Crysencio Summerville has scored or assisted a goal in his last six league games at Elland Road, the longest run for an individual player since Ros McCormack in (Also Six) 2013.
Player to Watch
Georginio Rutter
The Leeds United striker has led the line well this season and is a better fit to Daniel Farke’s system than Patrick Bamford. However, a semblance of consistency will certainly ramp up his numbers and also boost Leeds’s attacking output.
Rutter drew a blank at the Stadium of Light and will be itching to get back on the scoring charts on the night. Coventry will do well to ensure that the Frenchman is well shackled in terms of goal scoring opportunities.
Prediction
Leeds United 2-0 Coventry City
Leeds will not want to fall further behind in their aim to secure a top two finish in the EFL Championship this season. While slip-ups are common in the English second tier, the Yorkshire outfit should ensure that they can pick up as many points as they can at home, beginning with the clash against Coventry. Daniel Farke’s side have the quality and depth and also now the motivation to make their advantages count.
