Leeds United vs Brentford – Preview, Lineups, Key Men And Score Prediction | OneFootball

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Leeds United welcome Brentford to Elland Road in the Premier League for a clash which matters to both teams as they chase the kind of finish to the season that would please fans and players alike.

Despite improved and solid form for several months now, Leeds still have a fair bit left to do, being winless in five games, with all of the bottom three clubs showing gumption since the new year.

Brentford meanwhile, not only because of the expanded nature of European competitions, have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe next season for the first time in their history.

In a weekend in which West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur could all manage only draws, it could be argued that an away draw at Crystal Palace (0-0) meant that Leeds maintained par, but Daniel Farke would certainly have liked to given himself some breathing room, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin skewed a penalty wide to put paid to any such hopes for the match and for the relegation race.

The same could be said of Brentford, who let a 2-0 lead slip against Wolves, and missed an opportunity to ratchet up pressure on Chelsea, who lost, and a Liverpool side which could only muster a draw at Anfield, though it could hardly be deemed a shock given Wolves’ recent form. The result came a fortnight after they survived a scare against Burnley, with an Ashley Barnes goal that would have made it 4-4 being ruled out in injury time.

Farke is likely to have watched a lot of Brentford games recently, primarily to keep tabs on the teams around them, and will know that a result against the Bees is more than possible, especially at Elland Road.

He will also want to arrest any downturn in the bud, with a number of his players, including Brenden Aaronson, underperforming after a period of strong performances.

Farke will be especially wary given that West Ham and Forest show no signs of flagging, while he can assess Tottenham’s result against Liverpool only in the light of their forthcoming fixture against the Tricky Trees, given the Reds’ indifferent showing.

Even if it proves to be a red herring, Tottenham have sounded out potential managers, possibly providing a shot in the arm to stave off relegation, though Igor Tudor looks now to have steadied his position.

The Leeds boss looks set to use James Justin at left-wing-back following Gabriel Gudmundsson’s suspension, having admitted he does not see Pascal Struijk fitting into that role.

Keith Andrews will be without Vitaly Janelt, Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey, who are out until after the March international break, along with the longer-term injuries of Josh Dasilva, Antoni Milambo and Fabio Carvalho.

Mikkel Damsgaard remains a concern after picking up a knock against Wolves.

Farke has been luckier with injuries, with Noah Okafor now back, but Gudmundsson will be suspended for the game.

The Leeds boss will hope for three points against the Bees, as it might give them some elbow room to give it a proper go in the FA Cup, with the Whites set to face West Ham, who knocked out Brentford in the previous round, after the international break.

Andrews will likewise not want to miss out on another chance to pick up three points, with Liverpool and Chelsea set to play away games after midweek exertions in Europe.

Leeds will hope that come the final day of the season, they can take their foot off the pedal, content that their season’s objectives have been achieved, irrespective of whether their opponents on that day, West Ham, or Brentford, who will be facing Liverpool, have anything left to play for.

Recent Form (league)

Leeds United: DLLDD Brentford: DDWLD

Key Men

Leeds United

Jaka Bijol has been praised for his composure recently, and Leeds will need bucket loads of it against Igor Thiago. Farke will hope that the Slovenian can put in another assured performance at the back.

Ethan Ampadu has regularly earned plaudits for his leadership and that might prove to be vital in getting Leeds over the line after five games without a win.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has cooled off somewhat after a red-hot streak over the summer. The penalty miss leaves him with only one goal in his last nine outings, and Calvert-Lewin will want to get going again, especially on the back of getting back into the England squad.

Michael Kayode has reinterpreted the right-back role in the Premier League, akin to what Trent Alexander-Arnold did when he made his breakthrough. Kayode’s long throws have been highly effective, adding to the throwback element to this Premier League season, while he has also been solid defensively. Kayode, who scored against Wolves, will again be pivotal in everything his side does.

Dango Ouattara tried, and succeeded to an extent, to make up for his FA Cup Panenka faux-pas against Wolves. Ouattara will want to complete the job against Leeds through more hard work.

Igor Thiago, having earned his maiden call-up to the Brazil national squad, celebrated by scoring for the 19th time in the Premier League. Thiago, hot on the heels of Erling Haaland, now has four goals in four games, and is likely to keep Leeds’ back three occupied throughout.

Match Prediction

Farke will still not view this fixture as a must-win game, holding a three-point buffer over the relegation zone. A point a game will take Leeds to 40 and is likely to assure them safety, but Farke would surely like the luxury of not having to be under the pump for the final few games.

Three points might also allow the small possibility of also focusing on the FA Cup, but Farke is unlikely to lose sleep over that.

Andrews will undoubtedly be lured by the possibility of European football and what better way to announce a team on the European stage than through the Champions League. Andrews though, will be cautious on putting too much pressure on his squad, with the underdog status working fine for now.

Both sides have three draws in their last five games and either team is likely to shy away from risking it all chasing a win. Fans might see a late winner, or the fixture being decided by individual errors.

Inside Futbol Score Prediction

Where To Watch?

Leeds United vs Brentford in the Premier League will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Ultra HDR and Sky One channels with kick-off from 20:00 UK time.