Leeds United vs. Burton Albion preview: Back at it against the Brewers
After the international break, 31,000+ fans of real football will descend Saturday on Elland Road.
Saturday’s game against Burton Albion is the Whites’ 6th in the league in 2017 and their 3rd home game of the season. Undefeated, they currently sit 3rd in the table on 11 points with the 2nd best goal difference in the division on +5.
Manager Thomas Christiansen has been nominated for Manager of the Month and season ticket sales are up 40% on last season, having reached a record-breaking 20,000 sold.
August was good.
After the international break, United fans are hungry for real football again with Saturday’s fixture already surpassing over 30,000 ticket sales… only the east stand remains. Confidence is high among Whites fans who are expecting an entertaining afternoon and hoping to see a few goals, potentially from some new faces.
However, if the comments of Brewer’s Manager Nigel Clough are anything to go by, I’d say he’s planning to park the bus. Clough is looking to pick up points and get “something” from the next two away games, at Leeds and Norwich. A further clue is the fact that he feels it was “mistakes” that cost Albion in their opening three defeats and curiously not a lack of goals, suggesting defensive errors he will hope are rectified Saturday afternoon.
Moving the bus
Tasked with removing that parked bus from the Brewers goal line will be one of four available striking options.
Kemar Roofe has scored 4 goals in his last 2 games as a striker, which is more than he scored the whole of last season in his less-favoured position as a winger. Of the four options available, Roofe is possibly the most up to speed and EFL-experienced. He is my favourite to start.
Jay-Ray Grot fans can’t wait to see him rough up some more defenders this season as he did Traore at Forest, but he is likely a plan B target man. If he features, I think it will be from the bench.
Paweł Cibicki, a late £1.5 million summer arrival from Malmo, looks like he lacks the physicality to move buses, but with Samu Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski supplying the ammo, who needs a tow truck? Pawel will get his chance soon enough, but maybe not Saturday.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga is perhaps the biggest name (literally) of the striking options and the one I feel the fans want to see play on Saturday. The season-long loanee from Hamburg needs to re-ignite his career, and he’s hoping Elland Road will be the place for him to do so. In promising to fight for the club and the fans, he is making all the right noises to become a hit. His wife is expecting to give birth on Sunday, but that won’t stop him from pulling on the White shirt if chosen.
What we know about Burton Albion
They’ve had a tough start having played Cardiff City, Hull City and Middlesbrough. They lost those 3 games, but they then beat Birmingham 2–1 and drew Wednesday 1–1 in their last two.
They recently sold prized asset Jackson Irvine to Hull City. Also leaving was another five, including former skipper John Mousinho.
They have brought in six permanent signings, two with undisclosed fees and the rest on frees, including former Leeds United left back Stephen Warnock.
Their defeat of Leeds United at the Pirelli Stadium in the latter stages of last season helped them stay up for a second season in the Championship. And of course, it put an end to United’s play off push.
Injury News
Caleb Ekuban could be out for 2 months after surgery on his foot injury. Pennington and Berardi are back in training. There will be late fitness tests for Pablo Hernandez and Eunan O’kane.
For Burton, Stephen Warnock also faces a late fitness test as do Hope Akpan and former White Luke Varney. Luke Murphy is, of course, ineligible.
Head-to-Head
Having met only twice before, the honours are even, 1–1.
Form
Leeds United: W | W | W | D | D
Burton Albion: D | W | W | L | L
WHAT
Leeds United vs. Burton Albion
EFL Championship Fixture
#LEEvBTN
WHERE
Elland Road, Leeds
LUTV, BBC Radio Leeds, iFollow
WHEN
Saturday, 9 September 2017
3:00pm BT
WHO
Leeds United predicted starting XI
Weidwald, Anita, Jansson, Cooper, Ayling, O’Kane, Phillips, Hernandez, Saiz, Alioski, Roofe
Burton Albion predicted starting XI
Bywater, Naylor, Buxton, Turner, McCrory, Scannell, McFadzean, Mason, Dyer, Akins, Sordell
ODDS
Leeds 4/7
Draw 29/10
Burton 5/1
PREDICTION
I predict an unimaginative display by Burton as they attempt to steal a point at Elland Road. However I also predict that the Burton goal keeper, Bywater, will have a busy day and hot hands. Same result as earlier last year: 2–0 Leeds.
