Fulham and Leeds United are set to do battle at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, with the Cottagers having the better of this fixture in recent years.
Leeds United face Fulham at Craven Cottage, having lost three times during the 2022/23 campaign to Marco Silva’s side. That includes two games in west London, with Fulham winning an FA Cup tie 2-0 as well.
Lucas Perri is out of action against Fulham and potentially as many as five Leeds players could be missing at Craven Cottage. It leaves many question marks hanging over the fixture for Daniel Farke to resolve.
Our predicted XI for Leeds vs Fulham is out but Ao Tanaka has hinted he could be involved for Leeds. That is a major boost, but do Leeds have the firepower and match-winners in their ranks to find a first goal from open play?
Raphinha’s Leeds United brilliance against Fulham
Sean Longstaff has shone against Fulham before but no Leeds player has shined brighter over the last two decades than Barcelona and Brazil star Raphinha. He was often the difference for Leeds during his two-year stint.
Leeds’ London record is terrible but Raphinha was at the centre of one of their most recent victories in the capital in the Premier League. Having won the first game 4-3 at Elland Road just a few weeks before his arrival, the Brazilian only faced Fulham once.
Fulham have lost just one of their five home Premier League matches against Leeds (W3 D1), going down 2-1 in 2020/21 under Scott Parker. That was Raphinha’s game during the reverse fixture in March 2021 live on Sky Sports.
Patrick Bamford opened the scoring from a Jack Harrison cross, before Joachim Andersen equalised for the Cottagers with his first goal for the club to make it 1-1
Bamford, who had then scored four in four against Fulham, then set Raphinha up for the winner, with the Brazilian showing the flair and skill to take the ball on the run before scoring.
His tight control under significant pressure, as well as his calm finish, showcased exactly the sort of composure and quality Leeds will need tomorrow in a tough fixture for Leeds in the capital.
Perhaps Noah Okafor could start against Fulham and emulate Raphinha’s brilliance. They need a match-winner from somewhere, with an open play goal or two now absolutely paramount for Leeds in a league fixture.
Where the game will be won or lost for Leeds against Fulham, low-margin affair expected
Paul Merson thinks Leeds will lose to Fulham and the same is shared by Chris Sutton ahead of Fulham vs Leeds. However, both predict a low-margin game of 2-0.
The last four Premier League meetings between Fulham and Leeds have produced 18 goals (4.5 per game), with both sides finding the net in each match.
However, Leeds won both games in 2020/21, and Fulham completed the double in the last full season. Leeds won a cup fixture on penalties, but their last outright win came via Raphinha’s dazzling brilliance.
This time around, with the set up of both teams, it feels unlikely that a goal fest is in store. Both have serious problems breaking teams down who sit deep and compact.
The game may be won by some individual inspiration, which is why Raphinha is so relevant to this situation. Leeds have very few players with such guile to put their London woes behind them.
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