Leeds United will host Liverpool at Elland Road on Saturday, and both teams will look to build on their recent positive results.
Leeds United are coming into this game vs Liverpool on the back of a shock win over Chelsea, and they will be full of confidence. The West Yorkshire outfit will look to take advantage of Liverpool’s vulnerabilities and pile further misery on them.
The defending Premier League champions have lost three of their last five matches in all competitions, and they have picked up just one win in that time. They are completely devoid of form and confidence right now.
Liverpool are struggling, and this will be a difficult challenge for them away from home. Leeds United are fighting for survival, and they have regained some confidence after the win over Chelsea.
It will certainly make them a more dangerous prospect this weekend. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
The away side will be without Sean Longstaff (calf) and Daniel James (hamstring) this weekend. Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Leeds United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Liverpool, with Karl Darlow in goal.
Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the home side on the break. Meanwhile, Pascal Struijk will pair up alongside Joe Rodon at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Anton Stach and Ao Tanaka will add defensive cover and physicality to the side in the middle of the park. Ethan Ampadu will add drive alongside them. Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Leeds United vs Liverpool, with Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Darlow; Bogle, Struijk, Rodon, Gudmundsson; Stach, Ampadu, Tanaka; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor
Liverpool
Arne Slot will be without Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (muscular), and Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring) this weekend. Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Leeds United, with Alisson Becker in goal.
Joe Gomez and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate will pair up alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai will start in the middle of the park. They will look to control the game from the deep and add defensive cover.
Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz will start on the flanks here. They will look to add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Alexander Isak will lead the line for Liverpool vs Leeds United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Isak, Wirtz
Key Stats
- Liverpool are unbeatable in five of the last six matches against Leeds United
- 28 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Leeds United have lost four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Liverpool have lost three of their last six Premier League matches.
- Leeds United have won just one of their last 16 Premier League games against the reigning champions (D4 L11), winning 3-2 at Arsenal in May 2003. At home, they are winless in eight (D2 L6) since a 1-0 win against Arsenal in May 1999.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Swedish international is our key player to watch out for. Liverpool will need him to step up and deliver. Isak has not been able to live up to the expectations since the Premier League record move to Liverpool, and he will look to get his career back on track.
Leeds United can be quite vulnerable defensively, and they have conceded 26 goals in 14 league matches. Isak has the quality to expose their defensive vulnerabilities. He will look to help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. It will be interesting to see if he can make a defining impact in the final third and help his team grind out all three points.
Prediction
Leeds United 2-2 Liverpool
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side are particularly impressive defensively, and this will be an open contest with a fair few chances for either side. It is fair to assume that both teams will get on the score sheet here. A high-scoring contest is on the cards here.
Meanwhile, it will be difficult to separate the two teams, and they could end up cancelling each other out. A draw seems quite likely, and the two teams will share the spoils here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 stalemate for Saturday’s Premier League clash at Elland Road.