Leeds United v Everton - Patrick Bamford v Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Toffees dangerman and Elland Road prediction

Leeds United welcome Everton to Elland Road in the Premier League on Wednesday night - but where could the game be won and lost?
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Marcelo Bielsa's outfit head into the game off the back of an impressive 3-1 victory against Leicester City on Sunday.

Everton, meanwhile, fell to a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United last weekend and are looking to get back on track with a win in West Yorkshire.

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Both sides like to play expansive attacking football, which means it is all set up to be a thriller under the LS11 lights this evening.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford (left) and Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right). Pic: GettyLeeds United striker Patrick Bamford (left) and Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right). Pic: Getty
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford (left) and Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right). Pic: Getty

Here, we look ahead to what should be a hotly contested encounter between the Whites and the Toffees...

Key battle - Patrick Bamford v Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Carlo Ancelotti talked up both strikers ahead of kick-off in his pre-match press conference and it is easy to see why.

The pair are sat together in the Premier League goalscoring charts (11) and both lead the line for their respective teams as a lone frontman.

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Bamford, though, edges ahead in the assists department with four to his name while Calvert-Lewin is yet to record one this season in the league.

Both players have England ambitions for the forthcoming European Championships this summer and tonight’s match could well be decided by either player in front of goal.

Everton would welcome a return to form for Calvert-Lewin, having found the back of the net just once in his last nine outings.

Bamford, meanwhile, is in the form of his life under Marcelo Bielsa and the Whites will be hoping for that to continue at Elland Road.

Toffees key man - James Rodriguez

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There was a lot of excitement on Merseyside in the summer when Everton landed the playmaker from Real Madrid.

Four goals and three assists in 14 Premier League appearances suggest the hype was rightly justified.

Rodriguez can be a game changer on his day and the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas – whichever is handed the task of halting his progress - will be in for a hard evening in midfield.

His creativity can make spaces for others while his eye for a shot from outside the box is always a danger. Rodriguez can play in behind or cut in from out wide, which makes him all the more difficult to cover.

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Stop him and Leeds have a good chance of getting a positive result.

Elland Road prediction

In the reverse fixture at Goodison Park goals were predicted by all parties but an intriguing tactical contest produced only one.

Everton’s away form has been strong this season – picking up 19 points from nine games on their travels, losing just twice.

Leeds, on the other hand, have generally struggled at Elland Road in the absence of supporters following promotion.

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Marcelo Bielsa has just three wins from nine outings in the top flight this term on home soil but a new surface in LS11 may help Leeds with their slick football after their only January signing came in the form of a pitch from Tottenham Hotspur.

The first goal more often than not is vital for Leeds (if we ignore last weekend's result at Leicester) – so a sneaky 2-1 home victory with Patrick Bamford to bag a brace would be most welcome.

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