Fulham-Leeds is a match valid for the 32nd day of the Premier League and is played Saturday at 1:30pm: TV, lineups, predictions.
Fulham’s hopes of staying in the race for Europe have faded along the way. The Cottagers’ remains, at any rate, a sensational season, far exceeding expectations. Marco Silva has achieved a genuine miracle with a newly promoted team, whose main goal was to succeed in maintaining the category and interrupt the continuous “up and down” between the top flight and the cadet division.
Since March, however, that “fire” that had characterized the Londoners in the first part of the tournament seems to have subsided. Four consecutive defeats – five if we also consider the FA Cup defeat against Manchester United – some of them against not irresistible opponents such as Brentford, West Ham and Bournemouth have made Mitrovic and his teammates lose perhaps permanently their last European train, now slipping to tenth position. The winning fast ended only in the last round, with Fulham relishing the joy of three points again by beating Everton at home (1-3). It was a victory that beguiled the Toffees, who continue to flirt with the relegation zone. Leeds, the Cottagers’ next opponent, is on notice. Marco Silva’s men may no longer have realistic goals, but last Saturday they showed they are in no mood for gifts.
Leeds, what a collapse
The Whites are thus preparing to be judges again in the still very fierce fight not to be relegated. The Whites arrive in London with as many as 11 goals on their backs after heavy defeats against Crystal Palace (1-5) and Liverpool (1-6).
The situation is always critical for Javi Gracia’s team, which a few weeks ago had been deluded thanks to successes, the only ones in the last two months, with Wolverhampton and Nottingham. Last Monday Jurgen Klopp’s Reds made havoc of the Leeds defense, officially the most beaten in the Premier League with 60 goals conceded in 31 games. They remain two points ahead of third-last place in any case, but the schedule in the coming games will put the Spanish coach’s coached lineup to the test. In the Whites’ attack, Rodrigo could take the place of Bamford, who is not at his best, while Fulham will be without Mitrovic, who was disqualified for eight days for putting his hands on the match director in the FA Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United.
The Prediction
Fulham showed important signs of recovery in Liverpool against Everton and is unlikely to discount Leeds, another team with the water at its throat and fresh from two memorable beatings. The Whites continue to show serious defensive deficiencies and it is safe to imagine a contest of at least three goals total at Craven Cottage.
Fulham-Leeds likely lineups
- FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius.
- LEEDS (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Junior Firpo; McKennie, Roca; Harrison, Aaronson, Sinisterra; Rodrigo.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
