Manchester United will rekindle their old rivalry with Leeds United as the two teams face each other at Old Trafford on Sunday. It will be their first Premier League meeting in over 16 years, and the stakes could still be high as the Red Devils look to get into the top four by the end of this weekend’s round of fixtures.
Leeds United, on the other hand, are coming on the back of a 5-2 win over Newcastle United that hands them the opportunity of potentially overtaking Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and even Wolverhampton Wanderers. They also have a decent record away from home and considering their performances against big clubs this season, Marcelo Bielsa’s men will once again be looking to cause an upset this weekend.
Manchester United Vs Leeds United Tactical Preview
Talking Tactics
Manchester United
Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer has no reason to shift away from his tried and tested 4-3-1-2 formation. He may, however, require a more counter-attacking edge to his team as Leeds United are not a club who like to be dominated in terms of possession. A lot could depend on how the Red Devils look to navigate through the opposition’s first line of press, and it’s a game where we could see long balls become key.
Leeds United
Bielsa is likely to persist with a 4-1-4-1 with Kalvin Phillips anchoring the midfield in the number six role. The Argentine, however, could assign a more defensive role for Mateusz Klich, almost alongside Phillips, with Rodrigo Moreno operating in a more offensive role.
Team News
Manchester United
Edinson Cavani is a doubt for Manchester United heading into this game. The striker is set to face a late assessment, though it remains unlikely he will start either way. Solskjaer could make one or two alterations though, with Scott McTominay, in particular, replacing Nemanja Matic, whose slow nature is not ideally suited against the high pressing Leeds. Luke Shaw could also return to the side at the expense of Alex Telles at left-back.
Predicted Lineup: de Gea: Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred, Pogba; Fernandes; Rashford, Martial.
Leeds United
Bielsa is unlikely to make any changes to the team that secured an excellent win over Newcastle United in midweek. The Whites are still missing out on the services of Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper, so Luke Ayling should continue at centre-back, while in the attack, Rodrigo could once again get the nod ahead of Pablo Hernandez and Tyler Roberts.
Predicted Lineup: Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Cooper, Alioski; Phillips; Raphinha, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison; Bamford.
Key Men
Manchester United
Manchester United will be well aware of Leeds United’s weaknesses in the defensive department. So the creator-in-chief Bruno Fernandes could emerge as a vital asset for the Red Devils this weekend. The Portuguese international has the ability to infiltrate the opposition backline with his clever passes and intelligent movements – making him a serious threat for Bielsa’s men.
Leeds United
Manchester United, no doubt, have a strong midfield. Hence, for Leeds United, the onus will be on Phillips to provide the competence and assurance, especially in their possession game, knowing the opposition will try to disrupt their play at every given opportunity, thanks to ball-winners like Fred and McTominay. So the Englishman’s performance this weekend could go a long way in dictating his team’s fortunes in this fixture.
