Leeds United faced a significant challenge in their penultimate pre-season friendly, battling La Liga side Villarreal to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. This encounter offered crucial insights into Daniel Farke’s preparations for the demanding Premier League season, particularly regarding tactical adjustments and squad readiness against top-tier European opposition.
Despite creating several opportunities in the first half, the home side struggled to find the breakthrough, with Anton Stach narrowly missing from a free-kick. The second half saw a flurry of changes from Manager Daniel Farke, but Leeds fell behind to a 62nd-minute header from Etta Eyong. However, Joel Piroe quickly responded, capitalizing on a defensive error to level the score just four minutes later, before a late Sam Byram header sealed the draw.
The performance of Dutch striker Joel Piroe has been a standout feature of Leeds United’s pre-season campaign. His opportunistic finish against Villarreal, following strong displays against other warm-up opponents, underscores his consistent goal-scoring habit. While the club’s desire to sign another prominent striker is clear, Piroe currently stands as the most potent attacking threat available, building confidence ahead of the Premier League opener.
A significant tactical shift under Daniel Farke appears to be the adoption of a 4-3-3 formation, a strategy that has been telegraphed by the club’s summer transfer business, particularly the acquisitions of players like Stach and Sean Longstaff. This formation necessitates specific roles, with full-backs expected to provide width in attack while tucking in defensively to counter opposition threats, a dynamic observed against Villarreal.
However, the 4-3-3 formation for Leeds United still requires refinement, and its implementation introduces strategic trade-offs. The pre-season encounters have highlighted a potential void behind the central striker, where a traditional number 10 would operate. This tactical compromise may be a deliberate choice by Farke to enhance the team’s structural solidity and defensive resilience, a critical consideration for Premier League survival.
Concerns surrounding squad depth remain a pertinent issue for Leeds United as the transfer window approaches its close. A significant portion of the starting eleven against Villarreal, a team that competed in the Champions League last season, would likely not feature in Leeds’ strongest line-up post-transfer window. Key players, including new potential attacking options, were notably absent from this friendly, underscoring the urgent need for further reinforcements.
The Villarreal match served as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of having robust squad depth for the arduous Premier League campaign. For Leeds United to maintain their top-flight status beyond next August, Daniel Farke must ensure he has a contingent of dependable understudies across all positions, capable of stepping in and performing at the required level when called upon.
Leeds United’s pre-season journey culminates with a final friendly against Italian giants AC Milan in Dublin next Saturday, providing one last high-profile test. Following this, the focus will squarely shift to their highly anticipated Premier League season opener at Elland Road against Everton on August 18, set to kick off under the Monday Night Football cameras.
