Clash of the tactics will yield goals
Leeds United meet Leicester City on Monday night in the Premier League at Elland Road. Both sides sit comfortably in the top half of the table at the time of writing, and the visitors are also looking good for qualification into the knockout stages of the Europa League. Marcelo Bielsa and Brendan Rodgers are two very different managers with big personalities, and their tactical approaches follow the same pattern. Fans can therefore expect plenty of action under the November floodlights. Read our preview here:
Wham, Bam!
Lone striker Patrick Bamford had previously not enjoyed the most consistent of careers. Often loaned out by his parent clubs to gain experience in the third and second tiers of the pyramid, and similarly derided by fans and pundits alike, Bielsa placed an enormous amount of faith in him, first by capturing his signature for a very large transfer fee, and then sticking by him. That level of trust has paid off in spades, and he has more than found his feet back at the top, crashing in six goals in as many appearances, and looking every part like he belongs as the sole focus of the attack. The superb hat-trick he notched in his last match can only have boosted his confidence to ever greater heights, and, as a confidence player, he will be relishing the opportunity to find space in between Leicester's three centre backs. Jack Harrison in particular will be looking for his teammate's head from the left flank, especially if he comes up against Marc Albrighton in an unfamiliar wing-back role.
Injuries provide opportunities
Meanwhile, the Foxes have six first-team players out of contention for Monday, but that hasn't prevented them from winning the last three on the bounce in all competitions. Leeds, like Arsenal before them, will provide quality opposition who will take the game to them, and Bielsa is renowned for his high-tempo philosophy. This could easily disrupt their rhythm if Rodgers doesn't organise his troops sufficiently to combat the threats the Yorkshire outfit have at their disposal. The increased depth in the squad was in evidence during their triumph over AEK Athens, and the likes of Albrighton and Christian Fuchs (veterans from the fairytale title-winning campaign) will need to be at their sharpest to ensure there are 'outs' from the press. Like his opposite number, Jamie Vardy is already on half a dozen for the league season, and this is precisely his kind of match.
End-to-end promise
Assuming Leicester can ride the early storm, this has all of the makings of a superb game. Whilst the head coaches are the orchestrators from the touchline, there are plenty of individuals who can change the complexion of the match on their own in both likely XIs. bet365 are offering odds of 2.75 for over 3.5 goals, and this is sure not to be a let-down in that department.
