Jaka Bijol’s wait for his Premier League debut looks set to continue after Leeds United secured their second win of the season against Wolves.
Leeds paid £15 million to bring Slovenian international Jaka Bijol to the club in the summer transfer window, and Bijol was expected to take his place in the Whites’ starting side.
However, Bijol has been forced to wait to make his Premier League debut, with his only competitive appearance in a Leeds shirt to date coming in the cup defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
After the win over Wolves, former Leeds defender Jon Newsome said he does not think Bijol will earn his first start in Leeds’ next game against Bournemouth, after Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk produced another assured display at the back.
The stats from Rodon and Struijk’s partnership at Leeds show why Daniel Farke should stick with his established pairing, as Bijol’s wait looks set to continue.
Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk have formed an impressive partnership
Rodon and Struijk were impressive again against Wolves, as the home side only opened Leeds up once for the opening goal in the first half.
In many ways, they complement each other perfectly, with Rodon’s more all-action approach being offset by Struijk’s more cultured style. But the stats from their time together show that they are incredibly effective.
According to the data from Transfermarkt, Rodon and Struijk have played together 61 times at the heart of the Leeds defence. During that time, Leeds have conceded just 53 goals, conceding a ratio of 0.87 goals per game.
Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk’s partnership for Leeds United:
- Games Played – 61
- Goals Conceded – 53
- Goals Conceded Per Game – 0.87
- Clean Sheets – 26
In their 61 games together, Struijk and Rodon have helped Leeds to keep a total of 26 clean sheets, which equates to one clean sheet every 2.3 games. They have also conceded more than two goals in a game on just four occasions.
Managers are always reluctant to change a winning team, and Rodon and Struijk have been essential to Leeds’ success in recent years. With Leeds’ defence looking solid, Bijol may have to wait for an injury to finally get his chance.
Struijk has been particularly impressive for Leeds United
Having joined the club in 2018, Struijk is one of the few survivors from Leeds’ last spell in the Premier League.
Struijk struggled to nail down a regular position in the Leeds team in the top flight, having been used at centre-back, left-back and even as a defensive midfielder at times.
However, he now looks very much at home at the highest level, and his stats for the season back this up. According to FotMob, Struijk is in the top five per cent of defenders in the league for pass accuracy and his percentage of tackles won.
Struijk was linked with a move away from the club following Bijol’s arrival. Now, he is the man keeping his positional rival out of the team after a strong start to the year.
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