Two teams separated by just two points in the Premier League table prepare for battle at Elland Road as Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United play Southampton in the rescheduled fixture on Tuesday evening.
Two teams with very similar high-pressing, high-intensity philosophies but more importantly two teams who are desperately seeking more points on the board after worrying results in recent weeks.
The Whites suffered a close 1-0 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanders last week while Southampton ended their losing sequence of results with an impressive draw at home to top-four hopefuls Chelsea.
Embed from Getty ImagesLeeds United have lost their last two while Southampton have lost five and drawn just the one in their last six games, their last win coming in early January against champions Liverpool at St Mary’s. Southampton are without a Premier League win on the road in 2021, their win against Brighton coming in December.
Hosts Leeds (27) are the only side to have conceded more on the road than Southampton (24), although their 9-0 humiliation at Manchester United did not help matters in that regard, and the visitors’ only Premier League win at Elland Road to date came in the 1997-98 campaign.
TEAM NEWS
Leeds
Marcelo Bielsa received a timely boost in the defensive department before the fixture at Wolves as summer signing Diego Llorente returned to the substitutes bench after injury, and could be in line for a start.
Kalvin Phillips remains sidelined with a calf injury and is joined by Rodrigo, Gaetano Berardi, Ian Poveda and Robin Koch on the sidelines.
Southampton
Southampton had to make do without Stuart Armstrong for the Chelsea draw, but Ralph Hasenhüttl has confirmed that the midfielder could play a part this week.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere are no new fresh injury concerns for Hasenhüttl with Kyle Walker-Peters, Theo Walcott and Ibrahima Diallo still sidelined.
HEAD-TO-HEAD FACTS
- This is their first meeting in any competition since 2012 when Leeds United won 3-0 at Elland Road in a League Cup encounter.
- Southampton are on a run of three straight league victories in this fixture, with the most recent being a 1-0 away win in March 2012.
- However, Leeds have lost just one of their 12 home games against Southampton in the Premier League, keeping nine clean sheets (W6, D5).
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Leeds United: Meslier; Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Alioski; Dallas, Raphinha, Klich, Shackleton, Harrison; Bamford
Southampton: McCarthy; Bednarek, Vestegaard, Salisu, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Minamino; Ings, Redmond
Score Prediction: Leeds 2-2 Southampton
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