Premier League: Leeds Beware the Wolves’ Bite

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leeds United

Leeds United’s battle for Premier League survival continues at Molineux on Friday when Jesse Marsch takes his team to Wolverhampton, where the hosts are hungry for more European football.

This is a classic top-flight fixture, and a great one to open the weekend’s entertainment as two attacking sides are set to trade blow for blow in their quest for three vital points.

Wolves are currently in seventh place and, while a Champions League spot looks increasingly out of reach, Europa League football is a real possibility. Leeds are four points above the drop zone, but both Everton and Burnley have games in hand and that battle also looks like going down to the wire.    

The visitors come into the game on the back of a priceless 2-1 victory over Norwich City while Wolves completed back-to-back wins with the defeat of struggling Everton.

The pre-match SBOTOP football odds tell us we’re in for a tense night with little to choose between the two teams.  

Talking Points

Wolves back on track

Following three doses of capital punishment with losses to Arsenal, West Ham and Crystal Palace, Bruno Lage’s Wolves have bounced back superbly with two positive Premier League 2022 results: a 4-0 hammering of Watford and a 1-0 victory away to Everton.

With the teams around Wolves, notably Spurs, dropping points, they can grab the initiative in the hunt for Europe with another three points.   

Defensive lynchpin Conor Coady did the business, heading the winner against Everton just after the break and the supply of goals from all parts of the team has been a feature of Wolves’ success this season. Forwards Raul Jimenez and Daniel Podence were on target against the Hornets, as was Ruben Neves, who scored a beauty to round off a near-perfect performance.

As part of a domineering midfield, Neves was outstanding again in the victory over the Toffees, and the vastly experienced Joao Moutinho remains one of the best creative midfielders in the business. And behind these two, Leander Dendoncker provides good protection for the back four as the defensive powerhouse to support the attacking players.       

Can Leeds build on Canaries victory?

Jesse Marsch got his much-needed first win as a Leeds’ boss and now the US head coach must get another as soon as possible.  

Last week’s meeting with bottom-club Norwich was as near a must-win game as you can get for Leeds. It ended a run of six consecutive defeats which has plunged the Whites into danger.

After Rodrigo’s 14^th-minute goal had kept the Whites in front for almost the whole game, it looked like they would have to settle for a point when Kenny McLean levelled for Norwich on 91 minutes.

But Leeds had more in the locker and talisman Raphinha did the business, rounding Canaries keeper Tim Krul to tee up substitute Joe Gelhardt’s 94^th-minute winner.

Elsewhere, Brentford’s victory over Burnley on Saturday may turn out to be a good result for the Whites, while the Bees have pulled a little further clear of the bottom five. It means the Clarets, who have games in hand, have lost momentum. And Wolves did Marsch a favour with that win over Everton.   

With nine league goals, Brazilian international Raphinha is the standout player of Leeds’ campaign, while Daniel James and Jack Harrison have both had good moments and contributed four goals each.

The return of Patrick Bamford has boosted the front line, though he has looked off the pace in his first two appearances. Marsch needs his fit players to be at their best as Junior Firpo has joined the injury list which contains the influential pair of Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips.  

History

The All Golds have had the better of the head to head Wolves vs Leeds United results, winning 11 matches to the Whites’ seven and there have been four draws in all competitions since 2003.

The two teams drew 1-1 when they met at Elland Road in October in a thrilling game which took a 94^th-minute penalty, converted by Rodrigo, to cancel out Hwang Hee-Chan’s opener, slotted home on ten minutes.  

Wolves did the double over the Whites last season, on both occasions winning 1-0.   

Betting Tip 

The Premier League 2022 betting odds have the hosts favourites at a price of 2.20 while Leeds are at 2-97 to make it back to back victories.

We have a fascinating battle right here; Wolves are hunting a third consecutive win to keep their European challenge on track, while Leeds will attack from the off in their pursuit of more valuable points.A repeat of the 1-1 result at Elland Road is at odds of 5.41 and the Whites will do all they can to avoid the Wolves bite. 

 

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