Preview: Leeds and Liverpool clash in key fixture for both sides
At a glance, both Leeds United and Liverpool head into this game having found a bit of form. In reality, both teams are near the bottom of the form table, with Leeds picking up three points from their previous five outings and the Reds racking up seven points.
By Sam McGuire
For very different reasons, the match on Saturday evening is a must-win for both.
The story so far
Leeds brought a four-match losing streak to an end on Wednesday as they claimed a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road. This performance arrived just a couple of days after Daniel Farke’s men came from 2-0 down at the Etihad only to lose 3-2 in stoppage time against Manchester City.
The signs are positive. They’re now scoring goals, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net in back-to-back games. Their showing against Chelsea was mightily impressive with the hosts finishing the game with an Expected Goals haul of 2.79, while limiting the visitors to chances with an xG total of 0.79.
It was domination, despite having just 29% of the ball.
This will likely be the blueprint against Liverpool too. They’ll dominate the space rather than the ball and they’ll look to make the most of their opportunities. Leeds are in dire need of points to help them avoid a relegation battle after a sluggish start to the campaign. They won’t expect anything from this game but Elland Road under floodlights is a good environment for the hosts.
Liverpool finally recorded their first draw of the season on Wednesday. In doing so, they brought an end to a record they would’ve wanted to shed weeks ago. Against Sunderland, they came from behind to take something from a game for the first time all season.
The Reds weren’t great. They haven’t been great for most of the campaign in all honesty. They looked better in the second half against the Black Cats but struggled to create, despite having Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah on the pitch.
Arne Slot’s side have struggled against teams with a low block and you know Leeds are going to do just that in a bid to frustrate their opponents knowing full well the champions don’t have a way to combat this tactic yet.
Key Players
For Liverpool, the focus is going to be on Virgil van Dijk. The skipper has put in a number of questionable performances over recent weeks and he’s going to be up against an aerial presence in Calvert-Lewin on Saturday. The former Everton striker is an out-ball for Leeds. If Van Dijk wins his battles, he helps Liverpool hem their hosts in. If he loses them, it could be chaos for the Reds.
So, by default, the key player for Leeds will be Calvert-Lewin. He’s the pressure release valve for the hosts. If he can do his job as a No. 9, he’s going to be a handful for the Liverpool centre-backs and he’ll give Farke’s side a foothold in the game.
That battle between those two players will be fascinating.
Team News
Leeds are without Sean Longstaff and Daniel James and will be until the New Year. Liverpool are hoping to have Conor Bradley back after a stint on the sidelines but are still without Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Stefan Bajčetić.
Prediction
Liverpool, on paper, should have enough to win this game but the form they’re in means a draw is probably the best they can hope for at a resurgent Elland Road. We’re going with 1-1.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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