Premier League clubs Fulham and Leeds United are all set to square up against each other in the FA Cup fifth Round.
Fulham will take on Leeds United at the Craven Cottage in their FA Cup fifth Round fixture. The two Premier League clubs will go up against each other on Tuesday night in the hope to progress further in the tournament.
The home team head into this encounter on the back of a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Marco Silva’s team will look to get back to winning ways when they gear for this cup tie.
Fulham progressed into the fifth Round on the back of a hard-fought 3-2 win over Sunderland. They have been in decent form of late. The west London club are on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions. And, they have won three out of their last five outings.
Marco Silva’s men will look to carry on the good work when they host fellow Premier League side Leeds United who are struggling for survival in the ongoing season. Meanwhile, Leeds will be heading into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Southampton. It was a must-win game for them and they managed to get the job done.
The Whites defeated Accrington Stanley 3-1 in the 4th Round and will be eager to progress further with a win away from home. However, their recent form has not been great. They have only one out of their last five matches in all competitions.
Javi Gracia’s men will be eager to repeat the heroics from their last fixture against Southampton. But, they have to be wary of the threat that the home team possess. Gracia has recently taken over the job at Leeds and a win in the fifth round will surely help him settle down better.
It is going to be an interesting clash between two teams with contrasting situations in the ongoing season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the fixture and tries to analyse the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva has a few injury concerns ahead of this fixture. Neeskens Kebano and Tom Cairney are still out injured. Meanwhile, they have a major boost heading into the cup tie as the manager has confirmed the return of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Marco has addressed the press ahead of #FULLEE. 🎙 pic.twitter.com/13UC2uso9t
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 27, 2023
Expect a few changes to the XI that started against the Wolves. The manager will look to rotate as well as rest a few important players. Silva is likely to start with the 4-2-3-1 formation. Marek Rodak might start in goal ahead of Bernd Leno.
Cedric Soares and Layvin Kurzawa will be the full-backs. Shane Duffy and Tosin Adarabioyo are likely to pair up in the centre of defence. Sasa Lukic will team up with Harrison Reed in midfield. The duo will sit in front of the defence as the pivots. Harry Wilson, Manor Solomon, and Daniel James will start behind the striker, Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Cedric, Duffy, Adarabioyo, Kurzawa; Lukic, Reed; Wilson, Solomon, James; Mitrovic
Leeds United
Javi Gracia will once again be without the services of Rodrigo, Archie Gray, Adam Forshaw and Stuart Dallas due to injury. While Luis Sinisterra and Pascal Struijk are still a doubt for this FA Cup tie.
🎙️ With #LUFC in FA Cup action tomorrow against Fulham, watch Javi's pre-match press conference https://t.co/j6ybx0DSlS
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 27, 2023
Maximilian Wober who missed Leeds’s last fixture due to a shoulder injury could return to the squad. But, he might not be risked for this game.
Despite all the injury concerns Gracia will hope that he can once again get the desired result when his team takes on the field. With survival in the Premier League being the main target expect the manager to make quite a few changes for this fixture.
There could be a change in the system from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2. Joel Robles could start ahead of Illan Meslier in goal. Expect an unchanged back four from their previous outing with Rasmus Kristensen and Junior Firpo as full-backs. Robin Koch and Liam Cooper will once again pair up as the centre-backs.
Sam Greenwood, Darko Gyabi, Marc Roca, and Crysencio Summerville are likely to be the midfield four behind the two forwards. Greenwood and Summerville will have the responsibility to stretch the opposition and put in crosses for Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter who will pair up in front of the goal.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Robles; Kristensen, Koch, Cooper, Firpo; Greenwood, Gyabi, Roca, Summerville; Bamford, Rutter
Key Stats
- Leeds United have won 26 out of the last 61 meetings between the sides. While Fulham have managed 20 wins.
- Leeds United have won four out of their last five games against Fulham.
- Fulham’s only win against Leeds in the last five meetings came in October when they won 3-2 in the league.
- Fulham are on a six-match unbeaten run across all competitions. They have won three of those fixtures.
- Leeds are on a three-match winless run away from home. Their last away win was the 4th Round success over Accrington Stanley.
Player to Watch
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Marco Silva has confirmed the return of Aleksandar Mitrovic for the FA Cup tie against Leeds United. The 28-year-old striker has been on fire in the ongoing season. And, one can expect him to be a big headache for Javi Gracia’s men on Tuesday.
The Serbian striker has 11 goals in 19 Premier League outings. It has been some season for the forward but he is yet to open his account in the FA Cup, and tomorrow looks like an ideal day to get going.
Prediction
Fulham 1-0 Leeds United
It is going to be a hard-fought battle between two Premier League clubs. But, Fulham might just get the better of Leeds United on this occasion. Marco Silva’s men have been in fine form of late.
Meanwhile, Leeds will surely be confident of getting a result in the fixture having won their last league game. But, they might not have enough in their tank to trouble the 7th-placed Premier League team. The Hard Tackle predicts a close 1-0 win for the home team.
