Leeds United will be keen to build upon their win over Ipswich Town when they face Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road
Daniel Farke will be keen for Leeds United to continue their winning momentum when they face Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on Saturday night.
The Peacocks won their first Championship game of the campaign against then-league leaders Ipswich Town, ending a run of 12 league games without a win. A clinical first half saw Farke’s men run away with the tie despite a late fightback from Ipswich.
Having secured that winning feeling, the onus is now on them to put up points on the board to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League. Sheffield Wednesday, however, will be keen to avoid catching a glimpse of League One as they continue to struggle against relegation.
Xisco Munoz’s men are yet to secure a single point this season and are dead bottom in the EFL Championship table. Armed with a defence that struggles to keep clean sheets, Wednesday look set to struggle against what is on their day a lethal Leeds frontline.
However, the game is not an open-and-shut case given Leeds’s inconsistency. The Elland Road outfit followed up on their win against Ipswich Town with a shock loss to lowly Salford City in the Carabao Cup. Surely, that Jekyll and Hyde’s persona will come home to roost sooner or later.
Leeds fielded a strong team at the Peninsula Stadium and had 33 shots. However, their inability to make it count cost them dear. Wednesday will be aware that their goal could peppered and will hope that the home side’s attackers have another field day. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might implement.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 30, 2023
Daniel Farke’s men are still struggling with injuries to several key players. The likes of Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Daniel James, Ivan Poveda, Junior Firpo, and Patrick Bamford are all still out as the Championship table takes shape.
Leeds signed Djed Spence on loan in the past few days, and the Tottenham Hotspur loanee could be in line to make his Leeds debut. Spence played a key role in Nottingham Forest’s proposition to the Premier League in 2022 and will hope to have a similar impact at Elland Road.
Wilfried Gnonto’s return to action is also welcome news for Farke as he aims to build a semblance of consistency in his team. With home support to egg them on, Leeds go into the clash as comfortable favourites, at least on paper. With Joel Piroe also on board, a 4-1-3-2 formation could be on the cards for Leeds on the night.
Illan Meslier should return to the starting lineup as the last line of defence with the back four of Sam Byram, Joe Rodon, Patrick Struijk, and Djed Spence. Ethan Ampadu should hold the fort in midfield, giving the trio of Luis Sinisterra, Joe Gelhardt and Wilfried Gnonto the chance to push forward.
Georginio Rutter and Piroe should lead the line, adding further bite to the Leeds attack. New signing Ilia Gruev has been unveiled but the weekend’s clash will have come a tad too soon for him to make his full debut.
Probable Lineup (4-1-3-2): Meslier; Byram, Rodon, Struijck, Spence; Ampadu; Sinisterra, Gelhardt, Gnonto; Rutter, Piroe
Sheffield Wednesday
Last season’s League One playoff winners have found life difficult in the Championship so far and have lost their first four games in a row. This puts them at a major disadvantage as the table takes shape and the teams above them pull away.
Leeds United have been pretty inconsistent so far, and Sheffield Wednesday’s chances of securing anything from the game will depend on which side of Farke’s men they get to see on the night.
The Owls will be without Momo Diaby and Mallik Wilks, both of whom are out injured. In their absence, Xisco is likely to deploy his men in a 5-4-1 formation in an effort to sustain Leeds’s attacking push.
🗣️ Xisco is speaking with the media ahead of our trip to Leeds on Saturday
XM 💬 "We are disappointed with the results. We are getting closer and we are working very hard to arrive to our success.
"We all want better and now we are giving full power to try and open our points… pic.twitter.com/6sgZRgqKAE
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) August 31, 2023
Devis Vasquez should start in goal with the trio of Di’Shon Bernard, Bambo Diaby and Liam Palmer. Juan Delgado and Callum Paterson will start as the full-backs and will get forward when an opportunity opens itself. Sinisterra and Gnonto do leave space behind them that can be exploited when on the counter.
The quartet of Lee Gregory, Barry Bannan, George Byers, and Josh Windass will start in midfield and can be expected to get stuck in. Controlling the pace in the middle could give them a fighting chance of salvaging a result, even if it appears unlikely on paper. Michael Smith should start upfront and will hope to catch the Leeds defence sleeping. He is sure to have at least one opportunity.
Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Vasquez; Delgado, Bernard, Diaby, Palmer, Paterson; Gregory, Bannan, Byers, Windass; Smith
Key Stats
- Leeds United have won just one of their last six league games against Sheffield Wednesday.
- A win on Saturday will see Sheffield Wednesday win consecutive games at Elland Road for the first time since 1998.
- A win on the night will see Leeds United secure consecutive league wins for the first time since October/ November 2022.
- A loss will see Sheffield United kickstart their league campaign with five straight defeats for the first time since 2007/08.
Player to Watch
Luis Sinisterra
Now back in the fold, the former Eredivisie star came off the bench midweek as Leeds unsuccessfully tried to come back against Salford City. He should be fired up for the weekend and is probably the most skilled player on the ball in Farke’s roster.
Likely to start the game, the 24-year-old’s dribbling and direct running should pose a major threat to the Wednesday defence. Should he get going, Leeds could once again get off to a flyer and secure their first home win of the Championship season.
Prediction
Leeds United 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Leeds United are the better side on paper and are seeing their frontline click into gear. While the finishing does require much work, there is enough about them to make life difficult for a porous visiting backline. Sheffield Wednesday will still get a sniff of two at goal given Leeds’ own deficiencies at the back but ultimately the home side’s firepower should prove too much for The Owls to handle.
