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Jesse Marsch has learnt from defensive mistakes when previously facing Pep Guardiola
Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch insists he has learnt from his own mistakes when facing Pep Guardiola in the past.
Marsch was in charge of RB Leipzig for their 6-3 defeat at the Etihad in September.
Leeds face Man City tomorrow [30 April] at Elland Road and Marsch admits it’ll be tough to contain their players.
Talking to the Athletic’s Phil Hay, Marsch said: “I know from this season already how difficult it is to limit their best players.
“We’ll have to be incredibly effective and clear on how we want to play against the ball and then find ways to control the game.”
Solid under Marsch
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What is pretty certain is that Leeds will be more compact than the last time they face City.
The 7-0 hammering at the Etihad was City’s biggest win of the season and annual drubbing that they usually give out.
It is important to remember that City do this to the best of teams, but Leeds under Bielsa made it slightly easier than it needed to be.
His gung-ho approach over taking the game, to even the best team in world was never going to end well.
Marsch’s arrival has seen a tightening of Leeds’ leaky defence and with two clean sheets in their last two matches.
The American knows better than anyone that the City test at Elland on Saturday evening will be an excellent measure of the defensive structure he has begun to implement.
As per Hay: “Marsch’s Leipzig produced 10 shots on goal to City’s 16 and were, unsurprisingly, on the wrong side of the result.
“There is rarely much value in engaging in a game of basketball with them.”
It will be intriguing to assess whether this Leeds side will be able to cause an upset whilst adopting a more measured approach.
If they do, it will be enormous in their Premier League survival hopes.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are leading the race to complete a major signing and have already opened talks to seal a £25m deal.