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After avoiding relegation last season, expectations are high for Jesse Marsch and Leeds United. The pressure of securing Premier League safety has been replaced with the pressure to make new signings work after a lot of support from the board over the summer. Leeds United have added six new players headlined by Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinistera and Tyler Adams. They will have the tough task of keeping the team together following the departures of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, but while much will be different for Leeds United, much will remain the same.
The players may change but the press will remain as Marsch keeps the core dynamic intact under Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds’ summer activities are in direct contrast to Wolves’. Bruno Lage needs attacking reinforcements after his side scored just 38 goals last season, but Fabio Silva was loaned to Belgium and Nathan Collins was the only addition. Collins was a strong defender with Burnley which will soften the blow of losing Romain Saisse, but he cannot be held responsible for putting the ball in the net.
A lot of pressure is on the attack of Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Morgan Gibbs-White who have all had good performances but due to injuries and youth have not put it all together for a full season. With Leeds defensively suspect, can they start the season on a positive note?
Here are our stories, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, August 6 | year: 10 am. ET
- Location: Elland Road — Leeds, West Yorkshire
- TV/Live Stream: Peacock
- Chance: Leeds United +128; Draw +235; Wolverhampton Wanderers +215 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Selected game | Leeds United vs Wolverhampton
Stories
Leeds United: Marsch has quite a selection problem. Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling are long-term absentees and neither will feature this month with Dallas likely out until after the World Cup. Junior Firpo and Lusis Sinesterra are moving on, but Firpo is a few weeks away, while Sinesterra could likely return to training next week. The biggest miss will be the heart of the defense Liam Cooper who is still carrying an Achilles injury from the offseason. He’s not in first-team training at the moment, but Marsch hopes he’s not too far away. Daniel James will also miss the game due to a suspension carried over from last season. Those absentees will make team selection difficult for Marsch, but that’s why it’s important the squad has depth now, as so much doubt would have crippled them in the past.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Lage’s already short attack isn’t helped by injuries to Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez. Returning from Barcelona, Traore is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Jimenez is dealing with an MCL injury. With no traditional striker available, Neto and Pontens will share the load in attack, but the team usually struggles to score when Jimenez is unavailable. However, they struggle with it, so it’s not all in the absence. Nelson Semedo will also miss out, but Wolves have plenty of defensive depth to deal with his absence.
Prophecy
This game could have gone a few different ways, but I’m expecting more of a free-flowing game than Wolves’ typical performances. It wouldn’t be shocking if this match produces the most goals of the day. Choose: Leeds United 2, Wolves 2
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