Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers get their Premier League campaign underway with a fixture at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
The home side are hoping for a much-improved season after dramatically avoiding relegation in 2021-22, while Wolves are under pressure to bounce back from a number of deflating performances during the run-in.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since Jesse Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds boss, the American has divided opinion, particularly when his side were on the brink of losing four successive games during the run-in.
However, Pascal Struijk's last-gasp equaliser against Brighton & Hove Albion and the 2-1 triumph at Brentford which followed put a positive spin on Marsch's short tenure, freeing up the Yorkshire giants to make widespread changes during the summer.
Naturally, losing the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha is regarded as a blow in most quarters, but the funds generated from their sales has allowed Marsch to build a team, rather than being heavily reliant on a couple of star men.
The new faces which have arrived at Elland Road have plenty to prove, but that is exactly what Marsch would want. As soon as Phillips and Raphinha were ready for fresh challenges, Marsch needed to get players through the door who were ready to enhance the club's standing in what will be an increasingly competitive season.
Leeds can also be happy with their pre-season, their third victory in five outings coming as recently as last weekend as they posted a 6-2 triumph over Cagliari.
© Reuters
From Wolves' perspective, they enter the new season needing to rediscover some momentum after failing to win any of their remaining seven games in 2021-22.
As well as missing out on Europa Conference League football, Bruno Lage's team dropped down to 10th position, a hugely disappointing finish after once being in contention for the Champions League.
Lage has used pre-season to switch to a back four, incorporating new arrival Nathan Collins, but a knee injury to Raul Jimenez has left Wolves short in attack for the opening weeks of the campaign.
With a number of games that they would consider to be favourable coming during that period, it is far from ideal, and Lage is left to rely on Morgan Gibbs-White bringing a freshness to their work in the final third.
Pre-season can be described as eventful, with a defeat to Levante in 'The Battle Of Benidorm' being complemented by a win over Besiktas and draw at Sporting Lisbon.
- W
- W
- L
- D
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
- D
- D
Team News
© Reuters
Barring any fitness issues, Marsch will select the same Leeds XI which were provided with 90 minutes against Cagliari last weekend.
While Liam Cooper, Junior Firpo, Luke Ayling and Luis Sinisterra are all expected to come back into contention by the end of the month, their respective injuries will keep them sidelined at the weekend, and Daniel James serves the final game of a three-match ban.
Lage is likely to take the same approach when naming his Wolves starting lineup with a draw having been earned at Sporting Lisbon on Saturday.
The one alteration could see Hwang Hee-chan preferred to Daniel Podence down the middle of the attack after proving his fitness across last weekend's double-header.
Nelson Semedo is unlikely to return until later in the month, while Adama Traore's will only be named on the substitutes' bench at best with his future remaining uncertain.
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Struijk, Koch, Llorente, Kristensen; Roca, Adams; Aaronson, Rodrigo, Harrison; Bamford
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Jonny, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker; Gibbs-White, Podence, Neto
We say: Leeds United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
While both managers will be satisfied with how their respective pre-seasons played out, we can see only one winner at the weekend. Without a recognised centre-forward in their squad, Wolves would take a draw if it was handed to them right now, but Leeds should have enough quality and enthusiasm to run out comfortable victors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Darren Plant
