Leeds United v Luton Town: Key Battle, Hatters Key Man and YEP Verdict - Big Match Preview

The YEP's Lee Sobot puts together a Big Match Preview highlighting some key areas of the contest at Elland Road.

Date: Tonight

Time: 7.45pm

Competition: Sky Bet Championship

Venue: Elland Road (behind closed doors)

Odds (best available): Leeds win - 1-3

Draw - 9-2

Luton win - 10-1

LAST TIME AT ELLAND ROAD

Saturday, September 1, 2007

League One

Leeds United 1 Luton Town 0. Goals - Kandol (44)

KEY BATTLE

Patrick Bamford v Simon Sluga

Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts played 45 minutes each in the lone striker role in Saturday's 3-0 win at home to Fulham and it remains to be seen who starts upfront, with much depending also on whether the recently returning Pablo Hernandez starts at no 10. But Bamford has been Marcelo Bielsa's go-to man from the start and Leeds are surely going to create plenty of chances against the Hatters. As such, the centre-forward's battle with Luton's in-form Croatian international 'keeper Simon Sluga will be key.

LUTON KEY MAN

Izzy Brown

Former Whites loanee Brown only made the bench for Saturday's 1-0 win at Swansea City but the Chelsea loanee came on for Jacob Butterfield in the 59th minute and 13 minutes later set up James Collins' winner with a pinpoint cross from the right. Brown now has seven assists for the season and be it from the start or from the bench, the midfielder will be keen to shine against a side for whom he made just two appearances from the bench during a loan spell majorly disrupted by injury. Irish international Collins - Luton's top scorer with 12 - will also need taking care of upfront.

LEE SOBOT'S VERDICT

First against 23rd and home banker, you would think. But this is the Championship and second-bottom Luton are also battling relegation with the in-form Hatters now unbeaten in five and having lost just one of their last eight. Nathan Jones, who took Luton from the bottom of League Two to the top of League One before leaving for Stoke City, is back for a second spell in charge having been appointed in May and clearly knows how to make the Hatters tick. Leeds, though, know that 14 points out of a possible 21 will guarantee a return to the Premier League - even if third-placed Brentford win every remaining game - which they might - and this needs to be a three-point haul which it should be given United's class.