Will Leeds be knocked out in the 2nd round again?
The second division team from Fulham welcomes Leeds from the top flight in the second round of the EFL Cup. The home side, however, are in stable form and occupy second place in the Championship. They also took the first round in the cup in commanding fashion with a 2-0 away win at league rivals Birmingham City.
Leeds again beat third-tier League One side Crewe Alexander in their opener. However, all three goals were scored in the final quarter of an hour.
For the match at Cottage Craven between Fulham and Leeds United, the prediction includes the double chance in favour of the home side after normal time.
Fulham – Statistics & current form
The Cottagers have been coached by Portuguese Marco Silva since the summer. The 44-year-old, who was previously employed by Everton and has other prominent employers such as Olympiakos Piraeus and Sporting Lisbon on his coaching CV, is now looking to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League.
The west London side are well on the way to achieving this goal: after eight rounds of matches, they are in second place in the British lower house. Only one game was lost until last weekend, although the first defeat was all the more embarrassing because it was against fourth-last Blackpool FC.
The second defeat came at home to Reading on the last matchday, with their opponents confirming their upward form.
Mitrovic is already “on fire “
On the offensive, the Lilywhites can once again rely on Serb Aleksandar Mitrovic. The 27-year-old has already scored six goals – only John Swift of Reading FC tops this number. After a poor last season in the Premier League, which was also marked by injuries, Mitrovic is now back to his old strength.
After all, he had always delivered a double-digit goal haul in the three previous seasons and even claimed the title of top scorer in the Championship with no fewer than 26 goals in the 2020 promotion season. Given his recent return to goalscoring form, Fulham’s odds on his next goal against Leeds United are also value.
With his attacking teammates, such as Liverpool transfer Harry Wilson, also in good form and no team in the Championship having scored more goals so far, betting on the home side to score more than one is also a good idea.
New signing Muniz is back on board
The prognosis is underpinned by the return of Rodrigo Muniz, who himself was signed from Brazilian champions Flamengo before the season and scored his first goal in his second match for Fulham in the last game against Reading despite a short spell
The Cottagers’ defence has also been reliable, allowing less than one goal on average per league match to date. New arrivals such as goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga (formerly of Tottenham) or Nathaniel Chalobah (arrived from Watford) have given Fulham’s backline a new solidity.
Predicted Fulham line-up:
Gazzaniga – Odoi – Ream – Adarabioyo – Bryan – Seri – Chalobah – Reed – Wilson – Reid – Mitrovic
Last Fulham games:
Leeds United – Statistics & current form
The kickers from the Steel City have had a mediocre start to the new season: Only the cup win against the third division club mentioned at the beginning could be chalked up as a success. In league play, the footballers from Elland Road still have to wait for their first win. The most recent result was a draw at Newcastle.
One reason for the mixed performance of last year’s ninth-placed team is the tight personnel situation at the back. Among others, German Robin Koch and Dutchman Pascal Struijk are missing in defence.
In addition, another defensive player, Spanish international Diego Llorente, has only recently returned to action after overcoming injury.
Leeds defence among weakest in Premier League
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the Peacocks have already conceded a dozen goals in the Premier League after five matchdays – only the Magpies and bottom side Norwich surpass that figure league-wide.
Parallel to that, the Whites’ attack still has room for improvement They have scored just five goals in league play. Hopes are now pinned on, among others, the recent king transfer Daniel James, who was brought in from the Red Devils for almost 30 million euros.
The 23-year-old made his debut for the Peacocks in the 3-0 defeat on the penultimate matchday and is expected to boost their attacking play. However, his admittedly brief appearance did nothing to change the defeat against Liverpool.
Predicted Leeds United line-up:
Meslier – Ayling – Llorente – Cooper – Firpo – Phillips – Rodrigo – Dallas – Rafinha – Harrison – Bamford
Last matches played by Leeds United:
Fulham – Leeds United Direct Comparison / H2H Record
The Bielsa eleven prevailed in both comparisons last season in the Premier League. However, the victories were always close, with only a one-goal lead. Thanks to the victories, the 1968 League Cup winners now have a run of three straight wins in this fixture.
In contrast, the Steel City side’s away record at Cottage Craven over the past 20 years has been poor: Only two successes were achieved. Instead, the Londoners have scored four triumphs and twice shared the points in Championship league action.
For the upcoming clash between Fulham and Leeds United, the odds are now very evenly distributed.
Fulham – Leeds United Tip
The three-time English champions, last seen 29 years ago, do not yet look at operating temperature. They only occupy 17th place in the Premier League, which puts them directly in front of the relegation places. The home side are much more stable, but since last season’s relegation they are only one level lower in the Championship.
For the match between Fulham and Leeds United, however, the tip on the double chance in favour of last year’s last 16 finalists from London seems to be profitable In addition to the rather weak form of the guests, the as mentioned predominantly stable condition of the Cottagers speaks for the prediction.
On the offensive, Aleksandar Mitrovic is once again in great form and, moreover, the home advantage speaks in favour of FFC. Furthermore, the visitors have played very cautiously in the EFL Cup in the recent past. In the last three seasons, the competition has always ended in the second round against lower-ranked teams such as Hull, Stoke and Huddersfield.
