da blaze casino： Tonight, Leeds United visit Anfield for the first time since 2003, with the EFL Cup providing the platform to revive a rivalry that once sat at the very top of English football.
da bet vitoria： As we all know, the Whites are by no means the Champions League semi-final-reaching force of yesteryear, having exited the Premier League at the end of the 2003/04 campaign – they are still marching through the Football League wilderness amid their exile from the top flight.
But Leeds still boast a fantastic support and continue to carry that ‘big game’ feel, which has set up a scintillating night under the Anfield floodlights this evening.
Inevitably, most are backing Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to progress to the semi-finals. They carry home advantage and have been excellent in the Premier League this season, netting the most goals (a whopping 32) of any team in the division.
But Leeds shouldn’t be underestimated. After a slow start to his Elland Road career, Garry Monk has masterminded the Yorkshire outfit’s route into the play-off spots and the players will enter tonight’s match feeling they have nothing to lose.
Likewise, this is one of the best Leeds squads we’ve seen for some time. So here’s a look at THREE dangermen who could inspire an upset at Anfield this evening.
Hadi Sacko
With former Valencia and Swansea City star Pablo Hernandez sidelined through injury, Leeds will turn to Hadi Sacko as their main creative threat at Anfield this evening. The 22-year-old winger is blessed with youthful dynamism and is the Whites’ leading supplier in the Championship with three assists in 14 starts.
He’s also their most prolific dribbler, averaging 2.4 successful take-ons-per-match to draw 1.1 fouls, and will resultantly be Leeds’ most common outlet on the counter-attack. That latter statistic could prove pivotal tonight, with set pieces likely to be the second-tier outfit’s best chance of getting on the scoresheet.
Pontus Jansson
Pontus Jansson’s primary task may be to defend his own goal but don’t rule out the Swedish centre-back, currently on loan from Torino, making a difference at the other end.
As previously mentioned, set pieces appear to be Leeds’ likeliest avenue of finding the net, especially against a Liverpool side who’ve been notoriously poor at defending such situations over the last few seasons, and Jansson represents a huge aerial threat, measuring in at a whopping 6ft. 5″. The 10-cap international bagged his first Whites goal earlier this month and will know a second tonight could etch his name in Elland Road folklore.
Chris Wood
Leeds’ most obvious and reliable goal threat this season, Chris Wood is currently fourth in the Championship’s scoring charts with nine goals in 18 appearances.
The 24-year-old, who previously struggled to break through at West Brom and Leicester City, is finally coming into his own and will be desperate to impress against Premier League opposition with the January transfer window just around the corner. An old-fashioned front-man who measures in at 6ft. 3″, he’s another who could hurt Liverpool in the air – especially at set pieces – and will be looking to bring Leeds’ midfielders into the game with his powerful frame. That’s not to downplay the New Zealand international’s technical quality; he’s a clinical finisher when given the chance.