Will Hasenhüttl and the Saints remain winless?
After seven matchdays in the English Premier League, there is only one team that has not yet conceded defeat, but no less than four teams that are still waiting for their first win. One of those teams is the team of Austrian head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl. On Saturday afternoon, the former Leipzig coach hopes to finally hit the ground running for the first time. Southampton and Leeds face each other at their home St. Mary’s Stadium.
Not only are the interim results at the Saints far from satisfactory, but last season’s promoted side can only be partially satisfied with their results so far. Bielsa’s eleven wrote in full for the first time on the last matchday. Despite the home side’s winless streak, the hosts are considered slight favourites by the bookmakers. Southampton’s win over Leeds has odds in the region of 2.30, while a win for the visitors attracts around three times the stake.
For the home side, the weeks of truth now begin, as the tough opening programme is followed by several eye-level opponents. The pressure on Ralph Hasenhüttl is gradually increasing. This weekend’s match kicks off on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Southampton – Statistics & current form
Southampton FC club officials are now acting completely atypical in the otherwise fast-paced world of football. Ralph Hasenhüttl has had to endure several serious crises at the Saints, but he has always been trusted. Despite the disastrous start to the season, the club is still holding on to the Austrian head coach.
Memories of 1998/99 come back
Although soberly viewed, not a single win of the season has been recorded so far, there are definitely performances that have to be rated absolutely positively. Southampton managed to draw against Manchester United (at home) as well as against Manchester City (away). In total, the four draws are offset by three defeats.
If Hasenhüttl’s side fail to record another win against Leeds on Saturday afternoon, the Saints would start on an eight-game winless run for only the second time in PL history. A little encouragement – back then, they were able to fix their relegation on the last matchday
Duration player Ward-Prowse drops out
Following the departure of life insurance policy Danny Ings, it was clear to fans that the current season would contain many setbacks. His replacement Adam Armstrong is trying hard but cannot yet boast the goal scoring rate of Ings.
Another drawback in the home game against the Bielsa eleven is the absence of international James Ward-Prowse. The central midfielder has played all PL games for Southampton since 27 December 2018. He has featured 102 times in a row, but against Chelsea the two-time season goalscorer picked up a red card and will miss out through injury.
The current negative run coupled with the absence of the top star are two arguments that ensure that predictions on the home side are discouraged between Southampton and Leeds.
Predicted line-up of Southampton:
McCarthy – Walker-Peters, Salisu, Bednarek, Livramento – Tella, Romeu, Diallo, Walcott – Redmond, Armstrong
Last matches played by Southampton:
Leeds – Statistics & current form
A disappointing start to the season was also experienced by perfectionist Marcelo Bielsa. Especially the clear defeats against Manchester United 1:5 and Liverpool 0:3 were a bitter disappointment. The thesis of the “difficult second year” seemed to come absolutely true at Leeds.
Leeds stand for spectacle
No change at all in the philosophy of Marcelo Bielsa’s game. With an attractive and attacking style of play, the Whites almost managed to qualify for Europe last year. The goal festivals have diminished a little, but the games are still characterised by countless scoring chances.
In the first seven league games, Leeds fired 105 shots (fifth highest) and allowed 117 shots (highest). This results in seven own goals and 14 goals conceded, so all in all, an average of three goals per game involving Leeds. Accordingly, betting on the Over 2.5 is an option for Southampton vs Leeds.
Goals in the second half are guaranteed
However, the two most recent away games have both seen an Under 2.5, with Bielsa’s side drawing 1-1 with Burnley and Newcastle. Away draws have previously been an absolute rarity for Leeds, with only two of 52 Premier League away games featuring this.
For statistics freaks, it is worth mentioning that between Southampton and Leeds, predicting more goals in the second half is an absolute must. 31 of Leeds’ 35 Premier League goals against Southampton have come in the second half, while the last 13 Leeds goals against the Saints have come in the second period.
In terms of personnel, Bielsa will still have to do without top scorer Patrick Bamford. Raphinha is also a big question mark. The Brazilian’s absence would be extremely serious, as the winger is the Whites’ most dangerous attacking player with 24 shots, 14 initiated goal-scoring chances and 37 dribbles.
Predicted Leeds line-up:
Meslier – Junior Firpo, Cooper, Llorente, Shackleton – Phillips – James, Klich, Dallas, Raphinha – Rodrigo
Last matches played by Leeds:
Southampton – Leeds Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
Between 2006 and 2012, the Saints won five of their six league games against the Whites from Leeds. Last season, however, Hasenhüttl’s side had nothing to laugh about against the promoted side and Leeds won both home and away games. Southampton are now Leeds’ all-time favourite opponents, with no other side having recorded more Premier League victories 14. Saturday’s Southampton v Leeds match offers odds of 3.00 on the visitors to win
Southampton – Leeds betting tips
Before the direct clash on matchday eight, the two teams are still neighbours in the table. In the last season, however, the guest from Leeds performed much better and therefore the odds between Southampton and Leeds are surprisingly high on the visitors. Especially since Southampton are still winless in 2020/21.
With perennial striker James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) and top scorer Patrick Bamford (Leeds), both coaches have to do without an important player. Leeds, however, will be able to compensate for this absence much better, which is another argument for betting on the visitors. Five units are recommended as a stake for the away win. If you find this a little too risky, you can play the prediction on the Draw-No-Bet market for Southampton against Leeds. Here, too, more than double the stake on a win for the Whites is tempting.
