Open contest should suit Leeds against Brentford

Sky Bet Championship
Sky Sports Football, 12.30pm Saturday

Leeds and Brentford are two of the Sky Bet Championship’s most enterprising outfits and the all-action duo could serve up a lunchtime treat at Elland Road.

With nearly a quarter of the season gone both sides are in the top six and well positioned to launch sustained promotion bids with attacking flair at the core of their challenge.

No side average more shots per game in the second tier than Brentford (15.18) while leaders Leeds are second in that category with an average of more than 14 shots every 90 minutes.

Converting all those chances has been a problem for Marcelo Bielsa’s hosts in recent weeks. Leeds had 25 shots in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday last week and 11 in their midweek win at Hull.

Tigers boss Nigel Adkins described Leeds as the one of the best Championship teams he had seen in many years and said "they are going to take teams to the cleaners". While that may not include Brentford, they are creating so many chances it will be hard for any side to keep them scoreless.

Brentford’s style should also suit Bielsa’s side more than the approaches of Hull and Birmingham, who ended the Yorkshiremen's unbeaten start to the season in their last home outing. Both teams were happy to sit back and soak up pressure but the Bees will not be so cagey.

Dean Smith’s visitors love to attack and that should give Leeds’ playmaker-in-chief Samuel Saiz room to scheme and create.

The hosts will need to be wary of Brentford’s considerable threat but even if they are breached, they have the firepower to down the Londoners.

Recommendation
Leeds to win & over 2.5 goals
1pt 12-5 Betfair

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Leeds
Left-back Barry Douglas joins Kemar Roofe, Pablo Hernandez, Gaetano Berardi and Patrick Bamford on the injury list.

Brentford
Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins are in line to return after missing the midweek draw with Birmingham.

Key stat
Brentford have kept two cleans sheets in 11 league games.

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