Leeds United begin their return to the Premier League with a key home clash against Everton, where Daniel Farke’s side will look to harness the raucous Elland Road atmosphere to kickstart their campaign. After two seasons in the Championship, the Whites will be desperate to buck the trend and become the first promoted side to stay up since the 2022/23 campaign. Here is our Leeds United predicted lineup.
Leeds United Predicted Lineup for Opening Day Clash vs Everton
How Leeds Have Lined Up Re cently
It has been a busy summer so far for Leeds United, with the club picking up eight new players as they look to establish themselves back in England’s top flight. The club’s notable acquisitions include former Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff, and exciting German midfielder Anton Stach, so it will be a new look Leeds compared to last season’s Championship-winning squad.
Throughout pre-season, Farke has shifted from his usual 4-2-3-1 system to a 4-3-3, as he looks to increase his side’s defensive solidity to match the rigours of the Premier League. In goal, new signing Lucas Perri has taken the number one spot from Illan Meslier, with the Brazilian likely to face a high volume of shots in the upcoming season.
Read More:Leeds United Switch Focus to ‘New Sadio Mane’ After Calvert-Lewin Deal
In their most recent match against AC Milan, Farke opted for Isaac Schmidt at right-back in place of the injured Jayden Bogle, who will be first choice, with new boy Gabriel Gudmundsson at left-back. In the heart of defence, Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk were selected, although Slovenian international Jaka Bijol looks likely to play a key role at centre-back this season.
The midfield trio was made up of Ao Tanaka, skipper Ethan Ampadu, and the giant Stach, who has impressed through pre-season and scored a fantastic long-range equaliser against Milan. Up front, Joel Piroe has started ahead of new signing Lukas Nmecha, but his position may come under threat after the signing of Calvert-Lewin, who will be desperate to revitalise a stuttering career at Elland Road.
Out wide, speedsters Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto started against Milan, with Leeds noticeably lacking depth in wide areas heading into the new season. The Whites are reportedly interested in Milan’s Noah Okafor, who started this match for Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
Leeds Recent Form & Tactics
Leeds have enjoyed a rather successful pre-season, winning two of their five games and drawing the other three. Avoiding defeat against Manchester United, Villarreal, and AC Milan will encourage Farke that his team are defensively sound, but there is certainly room for improvement in forward areas.
As previously highlighted, the German has shifted his tactics from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3, which has effectively removed an attacking midfielder to make room for another number eight, giving Leeds an extra body in midfield. This should help the Yorkshire side to better deal with the increased quality of the top division, where they will expect to enjoy minimal possession, soak up pressure, and hit hard on the counter-attack.
With three quality centre halves in Struijk, Bijol, and Rodon, as well as the versatility of Ampadu, it remains to be seen whether Farke may opt for a back five against more difficult opponents, as Leeds look to cause some upsets this season. The Leeds boss has plenty to prove, and will be keen to show that he has the tactical nous to survive in the Premier League.
Leeds Absences to Consider
New signing Bijol will not be available for the game against Everton as he is serving a one-game suspension for being red-carded in the final game of last season. Meanwhile, the club face an anxious wait to see if the highly important Bogle will be fit, with the right-back suffering from a hip flexor issue.
Belgian centre-half Sebastiaan Bornauw, another of the club’s new signings, is also currently recovering from a calf injury suffered in training and looks likely to miss out.
Leeds Predicted Lineup vs Everton
GK: Lucas Perri
RB: Jayden Bogle
CB: Joe Rodon
CB: Pascal Struijk
LB: Gabriel Gudmundsson
CM: Ethan Ampadu
CM: Ao Tanaka
CM: Anton Stach
RW: Daniel James
LW: Wilfried Gnonto
ST: Joel Piroe