Leeds United will host Brentford at Elland Road on Saturday night, looking to boost their survival hopes with a win here.
Leeds United are without a win in the last five Premier League matches, and they will be desperate for a victory in the game vs Brentford at Elland Road on Saturday night. They are 15th in the league table, and they cannot afford to drop points if they want to survive in the top flight.
Brentford have done well this season, and they are seventh in the league table. However, they have picked up just one win from the last five Premier League matches. They will need to raise their performance levels to achieve a good result here. The last few matches between these two teams have been evenly contested, and four of the last six have ended in a draw. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here.
Team News & Tactics
Leeds United
Daniel Farke will be without Gabriel Gudmundsson due to suspension. Leeds United will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Brentford, with Lucas Perri in goal.
In the back three, Sebastiaan Bornauw will start alongside Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon. Meanwhile, Jayden Bogle and James Justin will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the away side on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev will provide defensive cover and physicality in the middle of the park. Brenden Aaronson will add drive to the midfield alongside them.
Lukas Nmecha will lead the line for Leeds United, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin alongside him.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Perri; Bornauw, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Aaronson, Tanaka, Gruev, Justin; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin
Brentford
Fabio Carvalho is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Antoni Milambo, Joshua Dasilva, Aaron Hickey, Vitaly Janelt, and Rico Henry are also ruled out.
Brentford will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal.
Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit the hosts on the break. Nathan Collins will start in central defence alongside Sepp van den Berg.
As for the midfield unit, Jordan Henderson and Yehor Yarmolyuk will look to protect the defence and win the ball back for their side. Mikkel Damsgaard will start as the central attacking midfielder and help create opportunities in the final third.
Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade will start on the flanks. They will look to open up the opposition defence with their pace, flair, and movement.
Igor Thiago will lead the Brentford attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago
Key Stats
- Leeds have failed to score in their last three Premier League matches.
- Four of the last six matches between these two teams have ended in a draw.
- Brentford have picked up two wins from the last six Premier League matches.
- Leeds United have picked up one win from the last six Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Igor Thiago
The Brentford striker has done well in the Premier League this season and is the league’s second-highest scorer. He will look to make his mark in the final third and punish the Leeds United Defence. Brentford will depend on him to deliver in the attack and help them grind out all three points. They have dropped quite a few points in the recent matches, and they need their star players to step up and produce a defining performance here.
Prediction
Leeds United 1-1 Brentford
Both teams are desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close game. The last few outings between these two teams have been quite evenly matched, and this one is unlikely to be any different. Leeds United will not want to drop points at home, and Brentford will be desperate for a win. Both teams will play for a victory, and they are likely to get on the score sheet. However, it will be difficult to separate them on current form. They are quite equally matched right now. The two teams are likely to share the spoils in a draw.
