Sheffield United v Leeds United tactical preview - why Blades could cause Whites structural issues

For many Leeds fans, their most recent fixture against Sheffield United - a 1-0 at Elland Road at the end of the 2018/19 season - set the tone for what was to come. Leeds looked to dominate, created a number of very good chances but, in the end, fell to a Chris Basham sucker punch deep into the second half. In the league, much like they did in that game, Leeds did enough to earn promotion but fell away in the final push.

Since that game, Sheffield United have enjoyed a successful period in the Premier League. Chris Wilder has stuck with his famous 5-3-2 formation and it proved worthy of a ninth-place finish by the time the end of the season swung around.

Here are three aspects of Wilder’s system to look out for on Sunday:

Overloading wide

A lot is made of Chris Wilder’s overlapping centre-backs. Where you might expect centre-backs to hold a defensive line, Wilder likes his to push up into attacking situations and help out. But focusing on the centre-backs in this attacking system misses the full extent of what Wilder is trying to achieve going forward. By pushing up wing-backs and centre-backs into wide areas, Sheffield United are able to fashion overloads that are difficult for teams to defend. Keep an eye out for this on Sunday.

Structural issues

It’s no secret that Marcelo Bielsa likes to set his teams up with a man over at the back (a +1 superiority) by allowing one fewer man up front (a -1 inferiority). This makes it fairly likely that Leeds will play a back three on Sunday with the two outside centre-backs picking up Sheffield United’s strikers and one centre-back left over. Up front, though, this raises questions about how Leeds will press the Blades’ three centre-backs with two players. Patrick Bamford will take up the main responsibility but how will the other forward players help out? Most likely, Jack Harrison and Helder Costa will alternate depending on which side the ball is on. But it could cause structural issues throughout the game.

An evolved Sheffield United?

As every Leeds fan knows, the shift from the Championship to the Premier League brings its own unique challenges. Sheffield United went through the same process last season and are still evolving within the top division of English football. Last season saw them being a more patient side, happy to absorb pressure and then decompressing and trying to catch opponents on the break. But it meant that their production was not as high as they would have liked. Oliver Burke has been brought in as an outlet this season. Expect lots of dangerous runs in behind from him on Sunday, if he plays.