Sunday night’s pre-season friendly against Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago promises to be a tough test for Andoni Iraola‘s men.
While the actual result is irrelevant, watching the squad build match fitness and sharpen tactical patterns is crucial as the new Premier League season draws near.
Leeds always bring intensity and physical demands, making them ideal opposition at this time. It will give us an ideal test of our pressing efficiency and defensive structure under pressure.
When it comes to team selection, expect a classic pre-season approach from Iraola, with full use of substitutions across both halves. The starting lineup will likely feature a blend of established senior players and youngsters looking to make an impression on the new boss.
Keep a close eye on the midfield combinations, with Curtis Jones and the returning Harvey Elliott learning to play alongside each other again.
Up front, supporters will be eager to see faster movement in the final third than we saw under Arne Slot last season, with swift link-up play between the wingers and central forwards.
Ultimately, Sunday is about building momentum, avoiding injuries, and seeing clear progress with Iraola’s tactics.
A commanding performance and a clean sheet against a fiery Leeds side would set the perfect tone for the remainder of pre-season.
We’ve been working on a score prediction game for the new season. It’s fairly basic, but will give us the opportunity to give away some prizes through the season. For now, please help us test it by making your prediction and adding time of first goal (as this will be used as a tiebreaker).
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