Chelsea Boss Preparing Side For Both Leeds United Approaches | OneFootball

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is unsure of the formation in which Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will set his team up at Elland Road on Wednesday evening.

Leeds host the London club in the midweek Premier League fixture and will look to build on their performance displayed during the defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

Farke’s side went 2-0 down at half-time against City having been outplayed by Pep Guardiola’s side, but a thrilling comeback in the second half brought them level, before losing through Phil Foden’s injury time winner.

The Leeds boss started with a back four at the Etihad, but changed it to a back three with two strikers up top after bringing on Dominic Calvert-Lewin to partner Lukas Nmecha, at the interval.

The change in formation completely shifted momentum in favour of Farke’s side as both his strikers, Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha, scored in the second half.

A permanent switch to a back three has been much discussed since the weekend and one former Leeds star does believe it is the way forward.

Chelsea boss Maresca must anticipate what Farke will do, but the Italian is unsure whether Leeds will play a back three or a back four on Wednesday and stated that he will prepare the Blues for both.

Maresca also remarked that the Whites played very well in the 3-5-2 formation deployed in the second half at the Etihad.

“With Leeds, he played all games with a back four and then second half against City, back five”, Maresca said during his pre-match press conference (8:35).

“They were 2-0 down, 2-2.

“They play so well in 3-5-2. That’s why.

“We try to prepare for both and then when we see the lineup, we can organise.”

Leeds boss Farke is under considerable pressure having lost eight of the 13 games in the league since earning promotion from the Championship and the second half performance against Guardiola’s men could give Whites fans more faith in the German.

Despite the current losing streak, Farke has displayed complete confidence in his team to avoid the drop and is sure of his players’ abilities to get them through a rough patch.

The Leeds hierarchy’s faith in the German was a big talking point ahead of the season and with the club now in the bottom three, doubts over his future will only increase.