MATCH PREVIEW: FULHAM V LEEDS UNITED

MATCH PREVIEW: FULHAM V LEEDS UNITED

We look ahead to Tuesday's match.

After pipping Leeds to a Play-Off position last season in the Sky Bet Championship, Fulham were the form side of the four teams, however they were defeated by Reading in the semi finals.  After missing out on promotion last season, Slavisa Jokanovic's side were one of the favourites to go up this season.  After a slow start, Fulham are now firing on all cylinders, with their last defeat  in the division coming in mid-December.  That form has seen them rise up the table and they still have the possibility of finishing in the automatic promotion spots. 

 

League position

Fulham: 3rd

Leeds United: 12th

 

Recent form

Fulham: WWWDW

Leeds United: LLDLW

 

Head to head

Fulham wins: 17

Draws: 15

Leeds United wins: 22

 

Last time Craven Cottage

Fulham 1 (Cairney 90+5) Leeds United 1 (Ream O.G. 5)

 

Fulham: Button, Fredericks, Malone (Sessegnon 61), McDonald (Parker 74), Kebano, Cairney, Ream, Johansen, Aluko, Martin (Cyriac 75), Kalas.  Subs not used: Bettinelli, Odoi, Madl, Sigurdsson.

Leeds: Green, Berardi, Bartley, Jansson, Taylor, Phillips, Bridcutt, Sacko (Barrow 60), Roofe (Vieira 87), Pedraza (Dallas 82), Doukara.  Subs not used: Silvestri, Cooper, Antonsson, Hernandez.

Attendance: 22,239

 

Tom Cairney’s strike from 25 yards, which found the top left corner, denied Leeds all three points at the death at Craven Cottage.  The Whites had got off to a dream start when an own goal from Tim Ream inside five minutes gave Leeds the lead.  Neeskens Kebano was a constant threat for the Cottagers and he almost levelled when his shot hit the crossbar and bounced down, but the officials declared the ball hadn’t crossed the line.  Alfonso Pedraza had a great chance to double United’s lead, but he was denied by the post.  Kalvin Phillips saw red late on after picking up a second yellow card, before Cairney’s strike.

 

Team news

Liam Cooper and Adam Forshaw who both missed Friday's win at Bolton Wanderers will both be unavailable for the trip to Craven Cottage.  Fulham have a fully fit squad to chose from.

 

The key battle

Tom Cairney v Ronaldo Vieira

A former youth player with the Whites, Cairney found the net for Fulham in both of our games in the Sky Bet Championship last season, both which ended in 1-1 draws.  The midfielder was on the score sheet on Friday against Norwich City and is in good form for the Cottagers.  Vieira returned to the Leeds fold on Friday and was influential in Leeds' victory over Bolton.  He will be looking to stop Cairney when the pair meet in the heart of the midfield on Tuesday.

 

Betting odds with Ladbrokes

Fulham: 4/9

Draw: 7/2

Leeds United: 6/1

(Odds correct at time of article published)

Click here to bet now.

 

 

 

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