Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leeds United
The Premier League relegation battle this season is one of the tightest we’ve had in quite some time, as teams from 12th place down to 20th are within striking distance of one another.
That includes Wolves and Leeds, so when they face off at Molineux this Saturday, expect fireworks because there’s so much on the line.
The Wolves are currently in 13th place with 27 points, and they’re fresh from a 2-1 loss against Newcastle United on Monday.
Leeds, on the other hand, are coming off a thrilling 2-2 draw against high-flying Brighton at Elland Road on Saturday. They’re in worse shape than the Wolves because they’re in 19th place at the table with 23 points, but things can change if they get a rare road win here.
Talking Points
Déjà vu for Leeds
The Whites were fighting for their top-flight status towards the end of last season. They survived when they won each of their last three Premier League games, including a crucial victory over Brentford on the final day.
Fast forward to today, and they’re in the exact same position, and the road to securing their Premier League status is going to be tougher than the last time.
Leeds couldn’t get consistent positive Premier League 2023 results because of the injury bug. Their top scorer, Rodrigo Moreno, was one of their biggest casualties, as the 12-goal man suffered an ankle injury.
Rodrigo Moreno had ankle surgery at the start of February, and it was expected that he would be unavailable for at least two months. However, he made a surprise substitute appearance in their last match against the Seagulls.
In the past few weeks, Javi Gracia has rotated his frontline as he tries to find the right combination. The good news is that Gracia has a good share of talent up front with the likes of Rodrigo Moreno, Patrick Bamford, Jack Harrison, Brendan Aaronson, Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Sinisterra, and Georginio Rutter.
But the real issue for the Whites, as it has always been, is their porous backline. They have conceded 42 goals already this season, which is good for fourth-worst in the entire Premier League.
It doesn’t help that there is currently no set date for the returns of defenders Liam Cooper, Adam Forshaw, and Stuart Dallas due to injury. Robin Koch, Max Wober, Junior Firpo, Luke Ayling, and Ilian Meslier will continue to have their hands full trying to hold it down back there.
One injury setback after another for Wolves
The Wolves’ frontline depth has also been hampered by injury, so they haven’t had much luck there either, just like Leeds.
Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha recently returned from injuries. But Diego Costa, Pablo Sarabia, and Boubacar Traore are back on the sidelines, in addition to long-term absentees Sasa Kalajdzic and Chiquinho.
Goals have been hard to come by for the Wolves this season, but they do have some quality in the final third, and they need to show it in front of their home fans this weekend.
Daniel Podence and Ruben Neves lead the team with five goals apiece, while Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore have three goals and one assist each.
History
After going undefeated in six league games for this fixture between 2017 and 2021, the Wolves have lost their last two against Leeds.
One of them was at the start of the 2022-23 season, when Leeds beat the Wolves at Elland Road with a scoreline of 2-1. After a quick goal by Daniel Podence, the Whites answered back with Rodrigo Moreno’s goal in the 24th minute and an own goal from Rayan Ait-Nouri 50 minutes later.
Should Leeds win again this weekend, it’ll be their first league double over the Wolves since the 2015-16 season and their first in the English top-flight since 1973-74.
However, the Whites are winless in their last seven away league games (D2, L5), while the Wolves have won three of their last four home league games (L1), which is more than they had in their previous 12 such games (W2, D3, L7).
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Premier League 2023 odds predict a tight contest between the Wolves and Leeds. The hosts were given the slight edge at 2.21 to win, whereas a draw or a win by Leeds is priced at 3.10 in the 1X2 market. With both sides dealing with numerous injuries, we would not be surprised if this game went either way. However, we expect goals from this exciting Molineux duel.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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