Liverpool, Leeds United In Desperate Battle News

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Liverpool, Leeds United In Desperate Battle

By Daily Sports on September 12, 2021

Liverpool will be aiming to get back to winning ways when they take on Leeds United, who are in search of their first win of the season, on Saturday.

Gameweek 4 of the 2021/22 Premier League season continues on Sunday, with just one match on show. The game will be played at Elland Road, where Leeds United will be looking to get their first win on the board when they play hosts to Liverpool, who are looking to get back to winning ways themselves.

Leeds United have not quite been at their best in the early stages of the season, with the defensive issues from the initial periods of last term starting to crop up again. The Whites are yet to get their first win on the board, having been beaten 5-1 by Manchester United on the opening weekend before playing out successive draws with Everton and Burnley, leaving them in the bottom half.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have been largely impressive so far in 2021/22, having blown away Norwich City and Burnley in their opening two games. However, ahead of the international break, the Reds played out a frustrating 1-1 draw with Chelsea despite having a numerical advantage on the Blues for half of the game. Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp will be happy his side is unbeaten early in the campaign.

The corresponding fixture last season saw Leeds United come from a goal down to hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw, with Diego Llorente cancelling out Sadio Mane’s first half strike late on. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.

TEAM NEWS & TACTICS

Leeds United

Marcelo Bielsa does not have many injury issues hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Liverpool. On Sunday, the Leeds United manager will only have to make do without one first-team player, with Robin Koch currently out on the sidelines.

So far this season, Bielsa has tinkered his side’s formation a fair bit, going from the 4-1-4-1 he has preferred for much of his time at Leeds to a 3-3-3-1 lately. However, against Liverpool, the Whites should revert to the 4-1-4-1 setup in front of goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The shift in formation should see Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper pair up at the heart of the Leeds defence, with Luke Ayling and Junior Firpo expected to be the two full-backs. The duo will have the freedom to charge forward and look for creative and scoring opportunities, although they could be pegged back a lot by a formidable Liverpool attack.

Up ahead in midfield, the key man will once again be Kalvin Phillips, who will need to somehow keep a check on Mohamed Salah. The other two players in midfield will likely be Stuart Dallas and Raphinha, with the latter moving into a central role owing to the return of Daniel James.

Speaking of, James will be thrust into the thick of action straightaway, with Jack Harrison a certain starter on the left flank. Finally, Patrick Bamford, who has recently been linked with Liverpool, will lead the line as always for Leeds on Sunday. (The Hard Tackle)

•PHOTO: Liverpool danger man Mohamed Salah

Source Daily Sports

Posted September 12, 2021