Leicester City and Leeds United will be harbouring dreams of a return to the Premier League ahead of the blockbuster clash on Friday.
The last time Leicester City and Leeds United faced off against each other was in the Premier League. It is the standard they will aspire to as they line up at the King Power Stadium on Friday night.
This weekend’s games kick off with arguably the biggest tie. While both teams were among the favourites to secure promotion back to the top flight this season, their fortunes have contrasted quite a bit.
Enzo Maresca’s Foxes are the runaway leaders in the second tier and have tasted defeat just once in the league this season. The same cannot be said of Daniel Farke’s Leeds, who continue to celebrate Halloween by roleplaying Jekyll and Hyde.
Fans of the Yorkshire giants will hope that these shenanigans are soon consigned to just off-the-field antics as they seek a semblance of consistency in terms of results. With just two automatic promotion spots available for grabs, Leeds will surely have an eye on one of them.
It is not easy to navigate the highly competitive playoff bracket and more than one strong side have fallen prey to it in recent times. While some recover, most fail to reach the same heights and wilt away. The likes of Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham among others have developed into Championship regulars rather than returning to the riches and glory of the Premier League.
Leicester, on the other hand, appear to be on autopilot and have firmly set their sights on a return to the big time. Unless there is a massive drop in performances as the season wears on, the Foxes are a shoo-in for promotion.
Leeds are currently third but are 14 points off the top and nine points below second-placed Ipswich Town, who have played a game less. While there is still ground to be covered, chipping away at the sides around them is a fine start.
A win will certainly reinvigorate Farke’s men, giving them the confidence to push on. The result on the night could prove to be a sliding doors moment for the visitors. A win and they could push on with renewed energy, a loss and they could be made aware of the gulf. Either way, it promises to be a cracking game. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
Stepping it up for #LEILEE 👟 pic.twitter.com/CQFqkXvMIh
— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 2, 2023
The Foxes are the side to beat this season in the Championship and on paper, they take on arguably their toughest opponents at home. Leeds have an excellent lot of players, even though they have not yet peaked as a unit.
Enzo Maresca will be without Wilfred Ndidi, who is still to recover from a muscle injury. The trio of Dennis Paret, Callum Doyle and Thomas Cannon are also unavailable for the game. Meanwhile, Yunus Akgun is a doubt as well.
It is not all bad news as Kasey McAteer is back in contention after recovering from a hamstring issue. Maresca is unlikely to tamper with his 4-3-3 formation but should go in with his best XI available.
Mads Hermansen should retain his spot as the reliable last line of defence for the Foxes behind the back four of Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard and James Justin. Summer signing Harry Winks will retain his spot at the heart of the Foxes midfield, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Chelsea loanee Cesare Casadei providing support and the thrust upfield.
Kasey McAteer and Stephy Mavididi should start out wide, with Kelechi Iheanacho coming in for Jamie Vardy upfront. The veteran will be available on the bench should the home side need his expertise.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Casadei, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; McAteer, Iheanacho, Mavididi
Leeds United
Daniel Farke’s men have enjoyed an inconsistent season of late but continue to be in the mix for a promotion spot. With injuries easing up, the Leeds United boss will be hoping to make a statement with a win against Leicester City this Friday.
Joe Rodon is the latest casualty to be added to the sidelines, with Stuart Dallas, Junior Firpo and Djed Spence all unavailable. Leeds have an otherwise fully-fit squad and will hope to get one over their rivals.
Farke is likely to retain his 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday, with his best players brought in. Illan Meslier should continue between the sticks behind the back four of Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk and Sam Byram.
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 1, 2023
Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara will hold the fort in the middle of the park, freeing up an in-form Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James to tear it up on the wings. The duo can aid the side’s cause by keeping the Leicester full-backs at bay, impacting the home side’s ability to stretch the game.
Joel Piroe should continue as the number 10, with Georginio Rutter getting the nod over Patrick Bamford upfront. Wilfried Gnonto offers the visitors a game-changing option off the bench. Farke is unlikely to alter his game plan and should stick to his guns regarding the deployment of attacking football.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Shackleton, Cooper, Struijk, Byram; Kamara, Ampadu; James, Piroe, Summerville; Rutter
Key Stats
- A win on the night will see Leicester City extend their winning run at home to Leeds United in the league to three games.
- The last time Leeds defeated Leicester at home was under Marcelo Bielsa in 2021. This is their solitary win in the last nine league clashes between both teams.
- A win on the night will see Leicester City win 10 games on the spin in the Championship for the first time.
- A win on the night will see Leicester City become the first team since Bristol City in 1905-06 to win 14 of their opening 15 games in the Championship.
- Only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been involved in more Championship goals (11) this season than Crysencio Summerville (10).
Player to Watch
Crysencio Summerville
The 22-year-old has been Leeds’s in-form player the last couple of matchday and will hope to continue his purple patch this time around. With five goals and three assists in his last five appearances, the right-winger will certainly feature high on Maresca’s list of threats.
Sumemrville’s impact has seen him compared to Brighton & Hove Albion star Koaru Mitoma and there is talk of him leaving Elland Road in January. A strong showing against Leicester City will certainly do him no harm with interested teams watching on.
Prediction
Leicester City 1-1 Leeds United
In what should be a hard-fought game, Leeds’s in-form wingers should help counterbalance Leicester’s possession-based football by making it harder for them to stretch the pitch. While the home side is more decisive when it comes to making use of the ball, the visitors have it in them to pull something out of the hat. Not many teams will get anything against Leicester this season, but Leeds should leave the King Power with a point to their name.
