Preview: Leeds United vs Brentford - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking to move further away from the Premier League relegation zone, Leeds United welcome European hopefuls Brentford to Elland Road on Saturday night.

Neither team could be separated in the reverse fixture three months ago when a 1-1 draw was played out at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Match preview

Although Leeds have failed to win any of their last five Premier League matches, head coach Daniel Farke will have taken positives from some of those results, most notably score draws away against Champions League-chasing Chelsea (2-2) and Aston Villa (1-1) before holding Crystal Palace to a 0-0 draw with 10 men last weekend.

Not long after Dominic Calvert-Lewin dragged a penalty kick wide, Gabriel Gudmundsson was sent off for two bookable offences, but Leeds shown superb defensive resilience to come away from Selhurst Park with a previous point in their fight to avoid an immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Sitting 15th in the Premier League table, Leeds are hovering just three points above the drop zone with eight games remaining. They have failed to score in each of their last three matches, last enduring a longer goal drought in February/March 2022 (four games).

Leeds may need to rely on their dead-ball specialities if they wish to make the net ripple this weekend, as they have scored a higher share of their Premier League goals from set pieces this season (excluding penalties) than any other team in the division (35.1% - 13/37).

The Whites head into Saturday’s fixture with a strong home record against Brentford, losing only one of their last 16 league meetings with the Bees at Elland Road (W7 D8). They are also unbeaten in seven home games since a narrow 1-0 defeat in February 2015.

Tipped by many to suffer relegation this term following a significant summer of change, Brentford have proven many people wrong in the Premier League and currently sit seventh in the table, occupying the Conference League qualification spot with just eight games left to play.

The Bees have somewhat lost their momentum this month, though, with an FA Cup fifth-round exit on penalties at the hands of West Ham sandwiched between two Premier League draws with Bournemouth (0-0) and Wolves (2-2), letting a two-goal lead slip at home to the latter on Monday.

Head coach Keith Andrews was left “frustrated” and “disappointed” after the draw with Wolves and admitted that 'some players need to have a good look in the mirror' after allowing the Premier League’s basement club to fight back having dominated the first 45 minutes.

Brentford have dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League team (69) across the last three seasons and they can ill-afford to drop too many more if they are to secure their highest ever top-flight finish (currently ninth) and reduce the three-point gap to Chelsea in sixth.

The Bees will relish a trip away from home this weekend, given that they have won five of their last seven on the road (D1 L1), with only leaders Arsenal (18) collecting more away points than Andrews’s side during this run (16). Brentford have also lost only one of their last 13 PL matches against promoted opponents (W11 D1).

Leeds United Premier League form:

Leeds United form (all competitions):

Brentford Premier League form:

Brentford form (all competitions):

Team News

Leeds boss Farke has confirmed that he has a clean bill of health, with attacker Noah Okafor now available for selection after missing the last five matches with a hamstring injury.

However, Gabriel Gudmundsson will serve a one-match ban following his red card at Crystal Palace, so James Justin could move over to left wing-back with Jayden Bogle recalled to start on the opposite flank.

Only Bruno Fernandes has created as many chances from set plays in the Premier League this term than Anton Stach (both 27), who could begin in an advanced midfield role next to Brenden Aaronson in behind striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored an 82nd-minute equaliser in the reverse fixture against Brentford.

As for the Bees, Vitaly Janelt (ankle), Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry (both thigh), Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva (all knee) all remain out with injuries.

Mikkel Damsgaard will be assessed after he was forced off with a knock in the draw with Wolves. Yehor Yarmolyuk could deputise in midfield if Damsgaard is not fit to feature, with Mathias Jensen operating in an advanced central role.

Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade are both set to provide support in attack for striker Igor Thiago, who is just one goal away from reaching 20 in the Premier League this season and becoming the third Brentford player to reach that landmark after Ivan Toney (2022-23) and Bryan Mbeumo (2024-25).

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Longstaff, Ampadu, Justin; Stach, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago

We say: Leeds United 2-2 Brentford

Four of the last six league encounters between Leeds and Brentford have ended as a draw and another closely-fought match could be in store this weekend, albeit one with plenty of action at both ends of the pitch. Indeed, we can envisage an entertaining score draw being played out at Elland Road.

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