Leeds United will be odds-on favourites to beat Salford City when the two sides meet in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday night.
The Whites showed what a devastating attacking force they can be when they edged Ipswich Town 4-3 to register a first win of the Championship campaign.
Giorginio Rutter, new signing Joel Piroe and brief exile returnees Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra were all on target for Daniel Farke’s men.
It was a first win for Leeds United at Portman Road in 10 years, snapping a five-match winless streak at the Tractor Boys’ home. It was also a first defeat for Ipswich Town, who went into the clash looking to preserve their 100% record and their position at the top of the Championship table.
Opportunity or distraction?
After that well-deserved and morale-boosting win, attention now turns to the small matter of the Carabao Cup tie and the mandatory questions about cup assignments in the grand scheme of Leeds United’s season; distraction or opportunity?
For lower leagues clubs especially, cup runs can either be the catalyst for a promotion push or they can undermine promotion chances. No doubt these competing arguments will occupy Farke’s mind as he ponders his selection options for the trip to the Peninsula Stadium. Will he opt for selection continuity or ring the changes?
Although the Leeds United squad is not the biggest, the Carabao Cup offers the manager the opportunity to utilise the full extent of playing resources at his disposal. It’s about finding the right balance between giving fringe players game time and using the tie as an opportunity for key players to gel and work on their partnerships.
The quality of the opposition, who are two tiers below Leeds United, suggests Farke has an opportunity to achieve both selection continuity and change – give those senior players who need more game time to sharpen their boots and match fitness and keep a few key players who have been ever-present so far this season wrapped in cotton wool. There is no need to take unnecessary selection risks.
That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if all four goal scorers from Saturday’s win at Portman Road were involved tonight, either from the start or off the bench. Piroe in particular needs time to gel with new teammates, while Gnonto and Sinisterra have some making up to do after sitting out a couple of matches before returning to the fold on Saturday.
It’s also a relatively quick turnaround time after Saturday’s exertions, so that will also come into the manager’s thinking. Farke will make his selection with one eye on Saturday’s tie.
The rematch
The tie at Salford City is a repeat of the August 2019 meeting between the two sides in the same competition. Leeds United were comfortable 3-0 winners on that occasion, with goals from loanee Eddie Nketiah, Gaetano Berardi and Mateusz Klich snuffing out the League Two side’s resistance.
While The Whites come into the clash buoyed by the win over Ipswich Town, Salford City are still smarting from the 2-1 weekend defeat by Accrington Stanley.
All about momentum
After a stuttering start to the season, Leeds United have an glorious opportunity to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.
Winning breeds confidence. It’s important to keep the momentum going heading into the winnable home tie against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Leeds United, how do I love thee!
