Southampton versus Leeds preview, predicted line up and other key details.
Leeds United go into the second game of the new campaign on a high after securing three, opening day points against Wolves last week. At times they rode their luck, paired with Wolves not taking their chances, but Leeds played well enough and deservedly came out victorious thanks to goals from Rodrigo and Aaronson (no way was that an own goal).
So, what do we know about the possible line-up this weekend? Taking into account what Jess Marsch said in the presser, it appears like a lot of the injured players are nearing first-team football sometime soon. Dallas is back on the grass, James has served his suspension and Sinisterra and Ayling are in line for a place in the match-day squad. It is still unclear who will actually feature, and it will probably be the same team that started against Wolves, but it’s encouraging to see Leeds with actual options to choose from, unlike last season when injuries decimated the squad and we were forced to operate with a creche instead of a bench.
Southampton got off to a horrible start last week when they were thumped 4-1 by a rampant Spurs, and we will be hoping for a similar result this weekend. Let’s face facts, if we play better than we did at St Mary’s last season, we could get something from the game. For once, our opening six or seven fixtures are littered with ‘winnable games’ barring the Chelsea and possibly the Brighton game (after their delightful opening day win at Old Trafford) could be a tricky encounter.
So my predicted Line up is: Meslier, Kristensen, Koch, Llorente, Struijk, Roca, Adams, Harrison, Aaronson, Rodrigo, and Bamford.
One’s to watch: Leeds – Aaronson, the American sensation seems to thrive at Leeds, and under Marsch, he has been given the freedom to do his thing. His pressing is fantastic and his energy and enthusiasm to play the game excites.
Southampton: James Ward-Prowse – A real danger from set pieces, his delivery is exceptional and his free kick ability means any dead ball situation around the box can hurt any team.
Kick-off 3 pm, Saturday 13th August, Saint Mary’s Stadium, Southampton.
Referee: Peter Bankes. Assistants: Neil Davies, James Mainwaring. Fourth official: Kevin Friend.
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