Leeds United vs Sunderland – Preview, Lineups, Score Prediction
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Fixture: Leeds United vs Sunderland
Competition: Premier League
Kick-off: 3rd March, 19:30 UK time
Leeds United welcome Sunderland to Elland Road tonight looking for three points that would do much to solidify their survival push, while the visitors are keen to stop what has become a concerning slide.
The Whites’ outing against Manchester City at the weekend was not all bad after all. Despite managing just 33 per cent of possession overall, they did end up with an overall xG of 1.47 compared to Manchester City’s 1.77.
Despite that, one former Leeds star did take aim at skipper Ethan Ampadu, calling the Manchester City outing his poorest game of the campaign.
The two teams also shared an equal amount of touches inside the opposition box and Leeds made Gianluigi Donnarumma save more shots than Karl Darlow.
Daniel Farke will certainly want to remind his Leeds stars of all they did right against Manchester City, ready for the visit of Sunderland.
Leeds have enjoyed home comforts and before the two recent losses against Arsenal and Manchester City, they had lost just two games at Elland Road and had been fighting on almost equal footing with fellow newcomers Sunderland.
The memory of the last meeting between the two teams will still be fresh in the minds of both teams and their sets of fans. Though it had failed to yield any definitive result as it ended 1-1, it was not one worth remembering for the lack of trying.
Leeds pushed Regis Le Bris’ team on the back foot for most of the 90 minutes, enjoying exactly double the touches inside the box but to minimal effect.
Inside Elland Road, a place which ‘can rock’, Farke’s players can become lethal and make it a tough evening to endure for the visitors.
The Black Cats have some impressive records to boast of as well.
In defence, Le Bris’ men have made as many as 226 interceptions, 121 blocks and 896 clearances so far this season. They also pose serious physical threat given the significant amount of duels their players have won.
However, they have suffered of late and one former Leeds star insists he has seen Sunderland deteriorate in recent weeks.
Le Bris will not want the bad spell of poor form to set in and winning away at Leeds would be a big statement.
Predicted Lineups
Recent Form (league)
Leeds United: LDDWL
Sunderland: DLLLW
Key Men
Leeds United
While the games are coming thick and fast for Leeds, Farke is not a manager who likes to make changes if he can possibly avoid it.
A back three has served Leeds well and Farke is likely to stick with it, while the two full-backs, Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson, could have extremely important roles to play both defence-wise and attack-wise.
Summer signing Gudmundsson has been lauded for his performances on the pitch. In December following the match against Chelsea former Whites’ star Aidy White described his crosses as being ‘phenomenal’.
His attacking statistics suggest that the 26-year-old has delivered a total of 68 crosses and has 44 touches inside the opposition box. He is equally capable in his defensive work as well, having made a total of 60 tackles and 20 interceptions.
Bogle is also been a capable contributor to Leeds’ cause, being dubbed a ‘well-loved and ‘greedy’ character by the manager.
Following the 2-2 draw against Chelsea in February, Bogle was voted the player of the match for an impressive 43 touches in 90 minutes and carrying the ball ten times for a total distance of 82.5 metres.
Sunderland
For the away team, the most important ask is going to be to protect Robin Roefs’ goal.
At the heart of the back four, Paraguay international Omar Alderete has been an ever-present figure. His international experience has come in handy for Le Bris.
He has won an impressive 60 aerial duels, which means that he is fully capable of countering Leeds’ threat from the two wings. The two goal contributions also give an indication about his capability at the other side of the pitch.
Granit Xhaka’s presence in the Sunderland midfield is going to be a huge boost for Sunderland. Xhaka has been such a key part of what the Black Cats have tried to achieve this season.
The Swiss international has completed 83 per cent of his 1,211 passes, and has helped set up five goals for his team-mates.
He has earned recognition from his manager, who has insisted that the former Arsenal man leads by example.
The home team, will therefore, definitely have a job at hand to stop the veteran when he starts weaving his magic under the lights inside Elland Road.
Match Prediction
Leeds United will likely have Farke on the touchline as his suspension is appealed. The German picked up a red card for his protest after the match against Manchester City and was handed a ban.
He has been an influential figure for the Whites and it can be a critical factor if he is there.
Leeds United have made name for themselves for being an attack-minded team and they are expected to bombard the Sunderland goal with shots on and off target tonight.
Attacking threats can come from multiple players of the home team but Sunderland have done well to counter such threats.
Sunderland though have certainly seen their performances go down a notch and with Leeds troubling even the best sides inside Elland Road, the Black Cats are likely to suffer a loss.
Inside Futbol Score Prediction
Leeds United 2-1 Sunderland
Where To Watch?
The Leeds United vs Sunderland match will be shown live on the TNT Sports 2 channel in the UK with a kick-off time of 19:30 UK time.
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